Isaiah 40, Mark 1

Intro: Sad stories of the pandemicI. The Weight of the WorldA. Bad news on the televisionB. Fear for healthC. Fear for the spiritual well-being of othersD. The plots of the evilE. Ongoing isolation, loneliness and sometimes despairII. Into This World Comes the Son of GodA. Jesus’ time wasn’t exactly paradiseB. Jesus’ mission? Health, demonic possession, information?C. The biggest problem might not have even been a felt problemIII. Our Assumptions and the Reality of GodA. Assumption #1: That God micromanages the Earth1. Assumption #1A: That life is fair2. Reality #1: This world is under the curse because of sinB. Assumption #2: That God’s people are sinless1. Reality #2: Not all who call themselves Christian are God’s people2. Reality #2A: God’s people are sinless because of forgiveness3. Reality #2B: We are on an imperfect path of growth and still have a sinful natureC. Assumption #3 God would do things our way1. Reality #3 God’s ways are not our ways2. Reality #3A But God can and will take care of things

Can you think of situations where you thought that God would fix something or prevent something, and He did not?Have you observed anything where you saw the wisdom of God’s way after everything played out?