Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1-8
Text: Mark 1:1-8; Isaiah 40:1-5

I - COMFORT in preparation to work for the Lord

A. Personal relationship with God

a. “…my people…”
b. “…your God…”
c. We have the same relationship
d. “…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2Co 6:16)

B. Pardoned sin

a. “…her iniquity is pardoned…”
b. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9)

C. Punishment has ceased

a. Their warfare was related to sin

1. “…her iniquity…”
2. “…her sins…”

b. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Heb 12:11)
Once the people are comforted the message centers on construction.

II - CONSTRUCTION in preparation for the Lord

A. Lift the valleys

a. Speaks of those who are down, destroyed, destitute, depressed, discouraged, disheartened, and dismayed.
b. Psa. 9:15; Psa. 40:2
c. Jude 1:22

B. Lower the mountains & hills

a. Speaks of the high-minded, haughty, egotistic, lofty, proud, conceited, and sanctimonious
b. Matt. 23:12; Job 22:29; Luke 18:14
c. Jude 1:23

C. Straighten out the crooked places

a. Phil. 2:15
b. The world is filled with crooked (warped) and perverse (distorted) people.
c. The idea here is that they have taken GOOD things and twisted, warped, and altered them into something BAD!
d. Sex, Marriage, Love, Plants, Grains, Technology, Religion, Scripture, Doctrine (cf. Deut. 32:1-5)
e. "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;..." (Jud 1:23)

D. Smooth out the rough places

a. The Gospel of Luke uses the word “smooth” when referring to this passage.
b. The meaning behind this is found in (Hosea 10:12)

1. The ground has been plowed
2. It has set and become hard and rough
3. It is now like a washboard
4. It needs to be broken up, smoothed out, planted

c. The world is filled with people who after hearing the gospel message have hardened their hearts.

1. Through neglect
2. Through rejection

d. Their hearts need to be re-plowed and made ready to receive the seed of the word of God.