Sunday Morning Worship Service (4/23/23) | Pastor Whitley
by Nathan Whitley
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Isaiah 57:15, Psalm 113:5, 2 Peter 3:8, Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 6:5, Psalm 34:18-19, 1 John 2:1

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/nathan-whitley--sunday-morning-worship-service-4-23-23
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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just remain standing and grab your Bibles we won't belabor the point let's go right to the word of the Lord we're gonna go to the book of Isaiah I believe the Holy Ghost is here today I know it's a exciting day but we want to honor his presence and let him minister to those who are here today I want to show us something this morning I'm not exactly sure I'm adequate enough to do it I want I want to show us some of the overlooked attributes of God I want to show you what he can do and who he is I want to reveal something about our savior today to the disenchanted to the discouraged and those who might be in despair this morning I want this to be more than just something like a theological treat is for the perfect Saints I want I want this today to be a drink of water to the Thirsty soul I want this to be bread of life to those who are hungry today I want this to be the bomb of Gilead for those who are wounded I want this to be oxygen to the doubled over Saint who's been running the rat race of life and I just believe the Lord is going to speak to somebody today Isaiah 57 verse number 15 Isaiah 57 verse 15. when you're there we just say Amen for thus saith the high and lofty one that inheriteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy Place someone say high and holy his name is Holy he dwells in a high and holy place now look at this it says with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit he that's in the high and lofty place is with the contrite and humble to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the contrite ones this morning I want to preach to you just just for a few moments high and holy with the crushed and lowly high and holy with the crushed and lowly won't you lift up your hands I feel the Holy Ghost today I want you to pray say Lord speak to me speak to me today Lord you are high and holy but I pray that you would speak to the crushed and lowly father I pray that your word would go forth like seed I pray would go forth like water gushing out to bring to bring those o God who are thirsty refreshment God your word would go forth like Daily Bread God that you would feed us today with your word I pray that you would be a balm that would heal the wounds of your people today God draw us closer to you and let us see you high and lifted up but with the crushed and lowly in Jesus name we pray won't you clap your hands again this morning oh Hallelujah you can be seated high and holy with the crushed and lowly scripture describes God as the lofty one Seated on a high because of his exalted position over the universe Psalm 113-5 says who is like unto the Lord Our God who dwelleth on high he is the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity he is a lofty God Almighty and incomprehensible so far above us so different from us that we cannot picture him to ourselves he is of a glory and Majesty beyond all human intellect or imagination he is a God who abides in eternity he does not inhabit time instead he created time before there was matter or space he existed before God created the universe there was no time the Bible says that he is the beginning and the end of time he dwells in the past the future while dwelling in the present he sees past present and future simultaneously transcending our infinite thinking the Apostle Peter wrote with the Lord one day is as a thousand years years and a thousand years as one day this is a lofty and high God a god whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts he is so far beyond Us in his existence we don't have the vocabulary to articulate his loftiness accurately all we can say is the heavens proclaim the glory of God the skies display his craftsmanship day after day they continue to speak night after night they make him known they speak without a sound or a word yet their voice is never heard yet their message has gone throughout the Earth and their words to all the world do you not know have you not heard has it not been told you from the beginning have you not understood since the Earth was founded he sits in thrown above the circle of the earth and the people are like grasshoppers he stretches out the heavens like a canopy and spreads them out like a tent to live I'm talking today about our high and lofty God [Applause] oh the Heaven and the heaven of Heavens cannot contain him oh Heaven is his throne and the Earth Is His footstool he causes the sun to rise and fall he can cause the sun to stand still he made the moon to Mark the seasons he stretches out the heavens like a tent he makes the Thunderclap Echo for Miles he causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous he set the boundaries for the Seas he marked out the foundations of the world he set the planets in their orbit he closed the Lily and he gives food to the birds of the air he erected the mountains and placed The Valleys at their feet he makes Waters gushed from The Valleys that flow between the hills while quenching The Thirst of beasts of the fields he causes the grass and the trees to grow and Sprout vegetation oh we can declare is when I look at your heavens and the work of your fingers and the moon and the stars which you have set in place what is a man that you are mindful of him and the son of man I'm talking about a holy and a high and lifted up God this morning I wonder if somebody could give him some High Praise I wonder if somebody could give a high God some high praise and some high worship [Applause] thank you he's high and lifted up he's high and lofty but not only that he says here in this verse not only is he high and lofty but he is Holy he says my name is Holy God is called holy throughout the Old and New Testaments per not perhaps the most well-known pronouncement of God's holiness is in Isaiah chapter number six the prophet envisioned the Lord sitting upon a throne we're at high and lifted and above him stood the seraphim with wings these Angelic beings were stationed above the Throne of God and this is what their song was holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory a theologian wrote this first Holiness is often defined as separation because objects and persons are consecrated for use in the sanctuary of the Old Testament and are removed and set apart from ordinary use however separation does not at all get all the essential meaning of God's holiness neither in reference to him as the Holy One or in reference to the variety of items described as holy God's holiness goes beyond mere separation from things and God's holiness is not restricted to this moral Purity though he is unequivocally pure instead God's holiness encompasses much more than that R.C Sproul wrote when the Bible calls God holy it means primarily that God is transcendently separate he is so far beyond and above us that he seems almost totally foreign to us to be holy is to be other to be different in a special way he is a Thrice holy God holy holy holy not just free from sin but he is transcendently separate from anything that is unclean or Unholy consequently God Alone can declare or make something to be holy Holiness is the very essence of who he is the very essence of who he is every other attribute or characteristic of God is intrinsically connected to his Holiness when you discuss God's other attributes we can say like this with his Holiness that he has Holy Love he has holy faithfulness he has holy goodness he has holy Justice he has holy jealousy he has holy Mercy he has holy grace everything that God does and everything that he is is connected to his holiness God's holiness is everything wrapped up in him and who he is you can't discuss Holiness without discussing God and who he is as holiness when we see a glimpse of God's holiness and who he is can I tell you something when you discuss Holiness it should not be about other brothers and sisters in Christ [Music] that is not your measuring stick that is not the standard oh no God's holiness is the standard when Isaiah caught a vision of God's holiness what did he say he said not Woe Is them he said woe is me if you start with Woe Is them before you start with woe is me you've got it turned around I'm telling you something when you see God's holiness it leaves you vulnerable and naked it says I am unclean and I am a man of unclean lips what did Peter say he said depart from me for I am a sinful man when belshazzar seen the writing on the wall and heard of God's holiness his legs began to shake and tremble underneath him I want to tell you today not only is he high and lofty not only is he high and lifted up but we serve and we worship a holy God now I wonder if there be somebody in this room today who would give him a holy worship come on somebody give him a holy worship somebody give him a holy worship somebody give him a holy worship not because you're holy but because he's holy not because you're worthy because but because he's worthy come on somebody lift up your voice a little bit come on come to play games today I want to give somebody I want to give him some praise this morning [Applause] he's high and holy you have to excuse my voice all this East Tennessee pollen is getting to this Indiana boy today but he's high and holy and Isaiah Isaiah has 66 books 66 chapters and really it is the Bible in miniature as Charles spurge and sin it's the gospel in the Old Testament you see the unholiness of God's people in the first several chapters of Isaiah but then you begin to see the unfolding of what God is going to do to cleanse his people that he realized and they realize that no sacrifice and no animal could bring them Holiness and so God becomes what he was and so we can become what we weren't foreign he became the suffering servant for us he said if you can't be righteous and holy on your own I'll come and make you holy and righteous myself my God have mercy that's the book of Isaiah in short and so when you get to the end of this great book you see something here I read this in my in my prayer time this week and I or last week I was just amazed when I seen it because I had to go back and maybe even wipe my eyes a little bit and read some other translations to make sure I seen what I was seeing there in the text in Isaiah 57 and 15 says that he is Holy he is the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in a high and a holy place but two words stood out to me with him with him with him are the contrite and the humble ones that's what he said who's there with him he didn't say the Angels were with him he didn't say the perfect Saint was with him he said I'm telling you I'm high and lifted up and I'm holy and I'm going to tell you who I keep company with [Music] I keep company with the crust and the lowly now your Bible my Bible says the word contrite the word contrite means crushed or humiliated the term lowly the Isaiah uses is the word in the Hebrew to mean depressed he said I'm with the crushed and the depressed I'm keeping company with those who don't have it all together I have it all together because I'm holy and I'm high and lifted up but I keep company with those who are crushed my God have mercy I keep company with those who know they are not anything I keep company with those who know who I am and how worthless they are who is he with he's with the crushed and the lowly what a contrast the high and the holy with the crust and the lowly a God who is infinitely great found with a finite and the Unworthy that's who he's with that's who he chooses to keep company with if you came to church looking for a perfect church with perfect people I can show you a perfect door to walk out of because I'm telling you this is a place for broken and crushed and depressed and worried written people that's who he's come to save he said I come to save Sinners I didn't come to save the whole I didn't come to save those who've got it all together I've come to save some people who are crushed by their sin I've come to say those who are lonely with their issues if you've come looking for a perfect church you've already ruined it by stepping in here today because there's not a perfect person in here this morning he doesn't hang out with perfect people you know who those people are they're called Pharisees they're called legalists he's you're telling me Jesus is eating with publicans and sinners thank God thank God he come to dine and to commune and to sup with those who are lowly and broken and who knew they were unworthy I told myself today don't get loud don't holler today you don't have the voice for it just talk to him like Raymond Woodward would talk to him and I just but when I talk about the goodness of Jesus that he's so high and lofty and so holy that he came to dwell with the broken young man like he came to dwell with some people who don't have it all together today he came to summon commute and fellowship with you who sinned this week and who failed this week and who dealt with worry and anxiety and stress that's who he wants to come and commune with this morning oh Hallelujah y'all wondering if somebody lift up their hands right now it's just ah God we need you God we are throwing ourselves upon you today oh the high and holy with the crushed and lowly I've got this little prayer book I've been praying through the Bible praying through the scriptures over the last several several several weeks and I came across this scripture in Isaiah 57 and then I read another scripture in Psalm 34 it seems like they just were made for each other look at Psalm 34 18-20 the Lord is nigh unto them who are of a broken heart he says I'm high and holy and I'm with the contrite and humble the crushed and lowly and he is near unto them that are of a broken heart oh God he is near them of a broken heart let's start there first for a few moments have you ever had a broken heart if you haven't just wait it's coming your way there's a broken heart with your name on it coming to your doorstep one of these days a heart broken by a soured relationship a heart broken by the loss of a child a heart broken by the loss of a loved one if you haven't had a broken heart don't worry it's coming for you at some point in your life many people who get their hearts broken carry it with them throughout the rest of their lives some keep people at arm's length never allowing anyone to get close again others lose trust in people causing them to remain suspicious of anyone's motives Some Broken Hearts paralyze emotions and feelings only to harden and become callous but yet the Bible says he comes near those who keep everybody at an arm's length he comes near those whose hearts are broken and calloused he comes near those who are who are who are ate up with jealousy and trust issues he says I'm coming for you I'm coming for your broken heart I'm coming for you and your issues I'm coming for you with your disappointment he says I am high and holy but I'm coming for the crust I'm coming for the heart broken where do you find Jesus in John chapter number four in Samaria at a well talking to a woman she comes at an hour when everybody else is gone she comes so nobody will see her no one will talk to her And yet when she gets there she finds a tall cup of water waiting on her he says woman can I have a drink she says you're talking to me a Samaritan and you're a Jew do you know who you shouldn't be talking to me I've I've tried to avoid everybody today and you're talking to me he said if you only knew who you were talking to and she said oh I know who you are you're a Jew and you Jews you say the only true worship takes place in Jerusalem and she and he said oh see I didn't come to talk about theology I come to talk about your broken heart I didn't come to talk about everybody else's issues I've come to talk about your issues and she said oh she tries to deflect again because who is he is he some other man trying to get with her and trying to to to get with her and and give her more rejection that she's faced in her life he said I perceive that you've been a man a woman married to four other men and the one you're living with right now is not your husband she said sir I perceive that you're a prophet he said I'm not only a prophet but I'm going to be the one who can heal your broken heart you see I'm not turned off by your Brokenness I'm not turned off by your rejection I'm not turned off by your trouble I'm not turned off by your circumstance what I am concerned about is your thirst and I want you to know that I've got something better than a man I've got something better than a marriage I've got something better than money I've got something better than Comfort I've got a living water that will that will quench your thirst he's not turned off he's not turned off by your broken heart he's not turned away by your broken heart can Jesus identify with broke a broken heart oh yes he was rejected and forsaken by those closest to him he suffered disappointment with someone like Judas betraying him crowds cried the king him and crowned him only a few hours later to cry to have him crucified he came unto his own and his own received him not Beloved the Lord is nigh those of a broken heart go that go back to Psalm 34 brother Dairy he is nigh those of a broken heart and he saves those of a crushed spirit a crushed spirit he wants he draws nigh to the broken heart but then he comes near those who are crushed I searched high and low for this word crushed in the Hebrew I searched everywhere trying to find a meaning of this word other than what it looks like right there in the English it means exactly that crushed crushed the crushed or the broken and the down and out first and foremost those crushed under the weight of their sin recognize their need for saving God resists the proud and he resists those who love their sin and want to remain in darkness but he comes to those who are sin crushed and know their need for salvation he wants to save those crushed by circumstances and afflictions please hear me I'm almost done pain and illness may have left you crushed in your spirit a bad doctor's report may have left you hurt and wounded in your own Peace of Mind depression anxiety and stress may have crushed your concentration and focus I want you to know that he saves those two weariness with sin or weariness with life doesn't turn Jesus away instead he's attracted to it he draws near to it he doesn't scrunch his nose like a child touching a worm for the first time he's not like the citizens of Israel who avoided contract contact with the lepers oh no instead he comes near to touch them and to heal them he is high and holy but he's with the crust and alola come on musicians it says this many many are the afflictions of the righteous look at that many are the afflictions of the evil that's not what it says many are the afflictions of evildoers that's not what it says many are the afflictions of the righteous he is not turned off by your broken heart or your crushed spirit but I also want you to know he is not upset when you go through trials he is not mad at you when you're going through some stuff are you hearing me this morning the Christian Life the righteous life isn't a life without trouble the Christian life isn't without its mistakes Temptations and sins rest assured listen to me now Jesus isn't avoiding your prayer for repentance you didn't hear me he is not upset when you come and ask for repentance he is waiting to pardon the psalmist says he is abundant in pardon meaning he wants you to repent he doesn't want you to give up when you had a bad day he doesn't want you to throw in the towel when you had a bad hour he says come on come unto me come unto me ask me for forgiveness ask me for mercy I feel you now brother nay are you saying that we can sin and he'll forgive us yes [Applause] are you saying we can sin after we've been I'm not saying you should I'm saying you ill oh I hear you I hear I feel like those people reading Romans letter the first time I feel like there's people who are red Romans they're like oh no here comes that Grace message again here comes that Mercy message again shall we shall we remain in sin because grace abound no God forbid but I want you to know John would write if we have sin we have an advocate with the father and he's willing and he's able to pardon stand to your feet there isn't some cap to God's mercy the Bible says his Mercy is Everlasting renewing every morning wins his Mercy knew every morning you sinned last night there's Mercy I'm not saying I'm not giving you a license I said I hope you understand that but I'm also I'm also concerned we always have to give this little asterisk to this and what we try to do is we try to make people feel like they're going to go 24 hours 30 days a week 30 days a month and not sin John said he that says he is without sin is a liar and now you are a sinner brother Nate are you saying this is a church full of imperfect people absolutely he didn't come to save perfect people he came to save those who are crushed and lowly he came to say to save those who know they are in need of a savior [Applause] there isn't some debt ceiling on God's grace for When sin abounds Grace much more he's got more grace than you've got sin I'm going to say it again I'm gonna say it for you super righteous people he's got more grace than you've got sin oh Jesus there isn't some deficit in God's power every time you ask him for something Jesus said all powers given unto me he's rich in Mercy sufficiently graceful and everlastingly loving he's a father in Heaven ready to answer every prayer forgive and deliver I read a story and I'm closing and they're going to sing I read a story this week [Music] this physician went to this remote jungle paid his own way paid for all the supplies and Medicine you felt burdened to go and help people who couldn't help themselves or have the means to go and find doctors so he paid for it himself it took the supplies with him and he went to this remote this remote area of this remote people and he began to tell them through an interpreter I'm here to help you I'm here to heal you I'm here to mend your wounds and the majority of the people in that Village were afraid [Music] and ran [Music] but there was one who said I'll try and the physician wasn't like oh great here we go we got one now here's somebody no he came to do that he want help you want healing you want you want mending I'll help you he is ready foreign come on [Music] he comes nigh unto you he's not turned off by your he's not turned off with your bad habits he's saying come on I'll forgive I'll heal I'll make oh would you lift up your hands all over the sanctuary this morning come on would you lift up your hands right now there are some who are in this place who are crushed maybe crushed with disappointment may be crushed with crushed with their sin under the weight of their guilt and shame I want you to know he's able to forgive you right now maybe you're crushed under disappointment with a broken heart maybe you feel low with depression maybe you feel like it is there's I'm just I'm just unlovable maybe I I'm dealing with jealousy and I'm dealing with trust issues I want you to know he's come to heal you today is there somebody who will come this morning is there somebody who will come to the high and holy one because he is the with he is with the crust and the lowly he wants to he I've seen cancer healed I've seen the Dead come back to life I've seen marriages put back together but you got to come to the high and lofty one you got to come to the high and holy one because he wants to be with the crush and the Lord if you need healing in your body he's the grateful position come on if you need comforting he's The Advocate come on if you need peace you'll come and speak a word of peace to your storm today whatever you have a need of he's got it he's high and holy but he's with the crust and the Lord [Music] come on cry out to him lift up your voice to him come on lift up your voice to him look up your heart to him he's not ashamed of you he's not ashamed to be connected to you that's what he came to do he wants to be with a sinner and the Publican he wants to be with the crust and the Lord he wants to be no with those who don't have it all together come on let him heal you today [Applause] come on you don't have it all together he does oh yes [Music] yes [Music] wanna work in God today [Music] to know would you lift up your hands would you lift up your hands father in the name of Jesus there might be some in this room who need to repent of their sins I want you to know he will abundantly appoint any new of any of your sins come on if he can wash clean David who committed adultery and had a man killed he can he can forgive you of your sins today come on if he can forgive and use a man like Moses he can use and and and and restore you just like he did him come on his grace is here today if you've never been baptized in the name of Jesus this is our signifying our burial with Christ and baptism and it is for the remission of our sins we have someone here who can baptize you today for the remission of your sins and the only saving name the name of Jesus Christ and if you have yet to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost it is a free gift it is a gift for everybody he wants to give you his Spirit today I wonder one more time would you lift up your hands and say God I want to respond to your word you respond to your grace and apply it to my life come on is there one who would like to be baptized today is there one who would like her to see the Holy Spirit today it is here for you right now hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah if you're thankful for the high and lofty word why don't you give him a hand clap of Praise all over the sanctuary come on somebody give him a High Praise right now somebody give him a High Praise right now