God's Appointments - Part 1
Joshua Daniel teaches that God's divine appointments bring transformative hope and restoration, turning mourning into joy through the power of Scripture.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of studying the Bible daily to receive light from God's Word. It delves into God's appointments as outlined in Isaiah 61, highlighting how God appoints beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for heaviness, offering hope and restoration to those who mourn. The message explores the transformative power of God's appointments in times of darkness and mourning, revealing His ability to bring beauty and joy out of desolation.
Full Transcript
Please be seated, dear friends. Now, if you have a Bible and you're not studying it every day, please know that you're walking without any light. Oh, how I long for light from God's Word.
If you do not have a Bible, please go to the bookstore and buy one. That's the greatest thing that you can find on earth. Tonight, I want to speak to you of God's appointments.
If you will please turn to the 61st chapter of Isaiah. You will see something of what the Spirit of the Lord appoints or gives. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.
He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn. The third verse, to appoint unto them that morning Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes. The oil of joy for mourning.
The garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified. Now dear friends, how helpless one feels before a house full of mourners. You are short of words, you feel there is nothing that you can say.
But here is an appointment from God to those who mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes. You know, death and bereavement and mourning bring a lot of darkness into a heart and into a home. And it leaves you with a feeling that there is no way by which that gap or that sorrow can somehow be reversed.
You know, we don't like to go to the house of mourning, we would rather go to the house of feasting. But when you go to a house of mourning, there are some enduring lessons to learn. Some deep lessons.
Lessons that will enlighten you. But when you go to the house of feasting, it is a very shallow, trifling spirit. But you know what our preference very often is.
But God's Spirit appoints beauty where there are ashes. Ashes symbolize total destruction. Who can reverse an ashen situation of desolation into the beauty that is immaculate? No man can do that.
You know, once William Cary stood in the midst of the ashes of his printing press so painstakingly set up. And as he surveyed the ashes to which years of valuable work and manuscripts of the Bible had been reduced.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The necessity of daily Bible study for spiritual light
- Encouragement to obtain and read the Bible
- Introduction to God's appointments in Isaiah 61
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II
- The Spirit of the Lord's anointing for ministry
- God's mission to comfort the brokenhearted and captives
- The promise of beauty for ashes and joy for mourning
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III
- The reality and pain of mourning and loss
- God's appointment to bring hope and transformation
- The contrast between houses of mourning and feasting
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IV
- The symbolism of ashes and God's power to restore
- Testimony of William Carey’s perseverance amid loss
- Encouragement to trust God's transformative work
Key Quotes
“If you have a Bible and you're not studying it every day, please know that you're walking without any light.” — Joshua Daniel
“God's Spirit appoints beauty where there are ashes. Ashes symbolize total destruction.” — Joshua Daniel
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” — Joshua Daniel
Application Points
- Commit to daily reading and meditation on the Bible to receive God's light and guidance.
- Trust in God's promise to bring beauty and joy even in the darkest seasons of life.
- Offer comfort and hope to those who are mourning, reflecting God's transformative power.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'God's appointments' mean in this sermon?
It refers to the divine purposes and promises God sets in place to bring restoration and hope, especially in times of mourning and hardship.
Why is daily Bible study emphasized?
Daily Bible study provides spiritual light and guidance, helping believers understand God's will and receive His comfort.
How does Isaiah 61 relate to the sermon?
Isaiah 61 outlines God's mission to bring beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, which is the core theme of the sermon.
What practical hope does the sermon offer to those grieving?
It assures that God appoints comfort and transformation, turning sorrow into praise and restoring broken hearts.
Who was William Carey and why is he mentioned?
William Carey was a missionary who faced great loss, symbolizing perseverance and faith in God's restorative power.