Podcasts about lord now

Pastor Dave introduces a sermon series titled "For the Love of God," emphasizing the importance of understanding and embodying God's love, particularly through the lens of John 3:16. He contrasts different types of love—eros, philia, and agape—highlighting that agape love is unconditional and expects nothing in return. Throughout the message, he challenges the congregation to reflect on their own relationships and the false expectations that can lead to frustration when love is conditional or transactional. Ultimately, Pastor Dave calls for a deeper commitment to God's love, encouraging individuals to respond and align their lives with the example of unconditional love God has demonstrated.John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.Romans 5:8 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us,  in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Psalms 116:12-14  What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13  I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. 14  I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people.

Pastor Dave introduces a sermon series titled "For the Love of God," emphasizing the importance of understanding and embodying God's love, particularly through the lens of John 3:16. He contrasts different types of love—eros, philia, and agape—highlighting that agape love is unconditional and expects nothing in return. Throughout the message, he challenges the congregation to reflect on their own relationships and the false expectations that can lead to frustration when love is conditional or transactional. Ultimately, Pastor Dave calls for a deeper commitment to God's love, encouraging individuals to respond and align their lives with the example of unconditional love God has demonstrated.John 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.Romans 5:8 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us,  in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Psalms 116:12-14  What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? 13  I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. 14  I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people.

Ezra is put in charge…The prophet Haggai delivered a message to the people who were struggling financially at this time: the gold is mine and the silver is mine, says the Lord… Now, God proves it! I like considering how impossible this must have seemed to the people. They were barely surviving and this enormous, expensive task is given them to accomplish. ‘How can we ever do this?' they would ask. ‘It's impossible.' But, as we know, nothing is impossible with God! I would love to have seen their faces when Ezra's caravan pulls into town with more money than they ever dreamed about! Many would be broken (in a good way) for having ever doubted that God can do all things…

Strong Finish 1 Cor 15:58 #Nightlight #RTTBROS Well, my dear friend, let me tell you something that the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He said, "1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" Now, let me paint a picture for you. Imagine a farmer who's out there in the field, planting seeds, tilling the soil, and watering the crops. He's working hard, but he doesn't see the fruits of his labor right away. He knows that it takes time and patience for the seeds to grow into a bountiful harvest. In the same way, my friend, when you do the work of the Lord, you may not see the results right away. You may face challenges and setbacks, but don't give up. Keep pushing forward, keep fighting the good fight, and know that the Lord is with you every step of the way. Think of a marathon runner, running mile after mile, pushing through the pain and exhaustion. They may not see the finish line right away, but they know that with perseverance and determination, they will cross it. So, my dear friend, be steadfast, be immovable, and keep abounding in the work of the Lord. Don't let the enemy discourage you or make you doubt yourself. You are doing important work for the Lord, and He is pleased with your efforts. Keep planting those seeds, keep running that race, and know that in the Lord, your labor is never in vain. Our Podcast, Blog and YouTube Links https://linktr.ee/rttbros Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. RSS feed https://anchor.fm/s/127be410/podcast/rss https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Pastor Seth Wetter teaches us, to Read the Bible and Pray. Don't be deceived by the World and its lies. Jesus is Lord Now and Forever. From the Book of Joshua, the 15th, 16th and 17th Chapters. On April 16th, 2023 God's Word is Truth!

Numbers 11:1-14 Fire From the Lord Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them. Quail From the Lord The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down. Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.

S1 Ep4: In this episode, our host speaks on two things, so it's a double episode in one! Jayne Eddy speaks a little on protecting your joy as a Nigerian during these times and just generally as a human being who is in Christ! She also talks on serving the Lord NOW! The time is NOW. Do listen in!

Bishop Frank preaches a message titled "Praise the Lord Now and Forever."

A new MP3 sermon from Faith Independent Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Trust in the Lord Now and Forever Subtitle: Psalms Speaker: Doug Stauffer Broadcaster: Faith Independent Baptist Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 1/1/2023 Bible: Psalm 20 Length: 39 min.

Today on the broadcast I will be talking aboutWonderful Words of Thanksgiving1 Chronicles 16:8-13 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.Ps 116:12–14What shall I render unto the Lord For all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord Now in the presence of all his people.2 Co 9:10–11Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.1 Th 5:18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

A new MP3 sermon from Grace United Reformed Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Trusting and Blessing the Lord Now and Forever! Speaker: Joel Trinidad Broadcaster: Grace United Reformed Church Event: Sunday - PM Date: 9/18/2022 Bible: Psalm 115:9-18 Length: 54 min.

Nothing is more powerful than salvation. To be saved is the beginning point of a relationship with God through Jesus, that gives us all the rights and privileges he offers us. If you want healing, it is in the relationship. If need provision, it is in the relationship. If you need encouragement, hope, love, or strength, it is in the relationship. When someone declares that they are saved because they have placed their faith in Jesus, it is a declaration of power that means all of heaven is open and unlocked for them. When Jesus died for your sins on the cross, he left nothing undone. No sin was accidentally left out, and no person was considered too sinful. The free gift of eternal life is open and available to all! But one important truth we often forget is that salvation is not only about going to heaven in the future, it is also about us gaining a relationship with the Lord NOW! Your declaration of salvation scares the enemy of your soul because it reminds him of the God who is on your side. You are not alone in your battles. Your prayers are connecting with heaven! Every good thing from the Lord is made possible through salvation...and salvation was made possible by the blood Jesus shed. Consider these scriptures: 1 John 1:7-9 NLT [7] But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. [9] But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Don't ever forget the power of the blood of Jesus! It is the change agent. The blood of Jesus is the love of God in liquid form. Jesus' blood is pure and holy, designed to cover your life, remove your sins, and make you clean. Nothing except the blood of Jesus can truly change your life. His blood is the great proof of our covenant with God the Father. We ought not claim our goodness before the Father, but instead we should claim the blood of Jesus! When we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive and cleanse. If you need Jesus to change your life, and if you want to walk on the right path, pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, please forgive my sins. I confess my sins to you now. Let your blood wash me pure, clean, and white as snow. I receive you as the Lord of my life, and I choose to place my faith and trust in your grace and sacrifice. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.” Now speak out the declaration... “I am saved by the blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless, lamb of God!” Here's more about the Gospel and what the Lord has done for you: • God wants to be YOUR Heavenly Father! (John 14:23) • Jesus wants to be YOUR Savior! (John 10:11) • God LOVES YOU with an everlasting love! (John 3:16) • Jesus was born of a virgin. (Luke 1:34-35) • Jesus was from God. (John 8:42) • God so loved the world, he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but HAVE eternal life! (John 3:16) • Jesus died on the cross for US, in our place, for our sins. (Romans 5:8) • If we believe in our heart, AND confess with our mouth, that Jesus died, and rose from the dead, WE WILL BE SAVED. (Romans 10:8-10) • Being saved through Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven, but it also opens up the way for us to be blessed and live the plans and purposes of God for our life here on earth. (John 14:6) For More... Follow me on Instagram: @pastorgrandviewchurch.online Follow me on Twitter: @LarryShankle Our YouTube Channel is: Remnant Warriors Rise Podcast I send out emails about each episode, and I really hope you'll join us and agree in prayer! We are stronger together! Sign up at ⤵️ https://sendfox.com/lp/3l20dp

Proverbs 27:21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. 22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him. This passage is compelling to me… Of course a crucible is a hopper that metals are placed into and then heated until they melt and then pour into molds in order to form them into useful tools. Alright, what might we gain from these words of Solomon? Well, when the heat is on… impurities are separated from precious metals which makes them worth something when they were of no use before. I think this is the parallel that applies spiritually in our life. Troubles and trials have the potential to make us more pure and holy and in tune with the Lord. We saw this on a National scale with the 911 terrorist attack. The US found itself in a kind of crucible… people were scared and many turned to God… Many churches were packed with people. So brokenness points us to the Lord… Now, as he often does, Solomon adds something to this truth that I would not expect. He says a man is tested by his praise. I would have thought a man is tested by the troubles he faces… as we said… when the heat is on… when he’s in the crucible… So I think there is truth in that… but the test can begin long before the trouble arrives. As gold and silver even before the crucible and furnace… with their impurities… they stir up lust and greed don’t they? Then they are sent to the fire and the impurities can be removed. In a similar way, when a man receives praise the test is on. If he is a man with prideful impurities in his life, he will receive that glory gladly. His lust for popularity will cause him to fail the test. And what does Solomon tell us about pride? Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Remember King Nebuchadnezzar?… Daniel 4:28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar... 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; … 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. So, yes, Solomon is right… a man is tested by his praise. For some the praise and the crucible that follows brings humility and holiness. For others reread today's passage in verse 22. Thankfully, all who look away from their own pride to Jesus receive his purity imputed to them. Ultimately, he took the crucible for us when he was crucified on the Cross… We are made pure by Jesus and practically we are his work in progress while in this body. Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

In Christ / A believer of the Lord NOW there is no condemnation. Hold on to the word of God, let your feelings be subjected to the word of God, shun the very appearance of the devil and cast down that which is canal. You are justified and Free in Christ

God is ahead of you in the rēStart Moses is still making excuses… this is a big assignment and he is wondering if the email went to the wrong guy. Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Thanks, but no thanks. God is not impressed with this. He is calling you because there is a need, not because you are talented, smart, spiritual, gifted, eloquent or the best shepherd in Midianville. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. God has thought through your shortcomings. Don’t get coy. Get on with the assignment. Visit brettjohnson.biz for resources, books, blogs, courses and much more. You can also follow Brett Johnson on social media at the handles below: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Let my business go! #rēStart #50Lessons #BrettJohnsonbiz

So this morning, just in keeping things simple, we're going to go straight into the message. For those of you who may be viewing from elsewhere, we appreciate you taking the time to be involved with us. Uh, that's fantastic. Uh, cornerstone is a small church that meets in Cranbourne West, usually. we hire a hall from the city of Casey, um, through the week they have closed that facility down and as a consequence we're unable to use it. Um, and so, you know, this is probably safe for some people, but, uh, it's a great opportunity also for us to extend the gospel out to those who normally wouldn't walk in a church door, but who may be interested in. So, you know, for me, I got to share a link this morning to the podcast on the local Facebook page of our housing community here. So we'd encourage you also just to spread around the link. Don't spread the virus, spread the link and uh, and get that out there. So, why don't we open a word of prayer here this morning as we go into, um, our session. So father we thank you for this morning and we just praise you for the opportunity to use this technology, uh, to continue in the spreading of the gospel and in the teaching and edifying of the saints that they might also build one another up. So we praise you and we thank you this morning. We ask you Lord that in the simplicity of this message you would use it to reach other people who maybe stagnant in their faith and help them to grow. We praise you in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. So you can see that, uh, that we're ready to go here and we've been, uh, looking at the process of growth and so we're going to continue with that this morning. These are some of the subjects that we've looked at over recent weeks. And so we're not going to go over those this morning, but we're going to continue today with discipleship. We started discipleship last week and we're continuing that again. So last week on the YouTube page and Facebook, it was called the process of discipleship. So really this is the process of discipleship, part two. So in the parable of the sower, Jesus explains the soils of the heart. And when we think about the soil, when Jesus talks about the parable of the sower, we're talking about the soils of the heart. Luke eight 15, Jesus said, but the seed in the good soil. So when Jesus was asked to explain the parable, and in explaining the parable, he was explaining what the, various elements of his parable were. And so he said, but the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart and hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance. Now, the Greek word for perseverance, I think it's pronounced something like hupomoné, it means a cheerful endurance. So it's not just the idea of patience, but it's a cheerful endurance and patient continuance. And so there's something of deliberation about this idea of perseverance in Luke 18. Now a principle of growth is given to us by Jesus in Mark 4 when he said first the blade, then the ear after that, the full corn in the ear. And here he's describing the process of growth for wheat, that the seed goes in the ground and then, through a process that the farmer doesn't really understand. That the blade of the seed begins to appear. And then after that it raises up into a full height. The ear appears or it becomes a stretched out plant. And then finally you get the kernels of wheat in the head of that fruit, of the wheat. James 5:7 says, therefore be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil being patient about it until he gets the early and late rains. Isaiah 28:16 states, he, that believes shall not make haste. Now for most people, that waiting is difficult. It seems like a long season, you know, from the tiny green blade up into the full, corn, you know the full kernels of wheat in the head of the wheat stalk. And so many seek to, in those times settle for what would be the low road of convenience. They, have become believers, they are saved, they have an assurance of heaven. So they having an assurance of heaven and they as time goes by, they develop a measure of Christian respectability, in church circles. And, but the problem is that when we Christian settled for this as the status quo in our lives, we only tend to fellowship with people in the same status quo, in the same condition. And it's almost as if we settle on it, that this is the goal that I've been saved. And then I can settle into a pattern of what might be termed Christian behaviour. And so they appear to be living as a Christian. But this is a stage at best, it's not the goal that God has for our lives. And it can be a very dangerous stage. It's a little bit like middle age for men. It can be one of the most dangerous stages. And it can be one in which we become a little bit self-satisfied. We become a little bit, enamoured with ourselves. And we think that, well, I've done my bit for the world and community and now's the time for me to have a rest. We expect some recognition as a mature believer. And often we ignore or forget the struggles and the pains that we had as the tiny green blade, that was popping through the soil of life. And so we forget that there are new believers who are in that same condition and we just look on them and we say, you know, why don't you grow up and why don't you shape up and mature? Now this can be a very cozy but a very sterile environment. And the seed corn, the seed or the, the kernel of the wheat, it may be a beautiful thing, but it's hard. And, if you've ever, handled wheat grain, you know that it's hard. But within that hard outer shell, there is a germ of life, locked up in it. And it can't naturally come to fruit unless a couple of conditions are met. And, unless those conditions are met, you can't produce anything. And so this is what many Christians are like. And this is why many even preachers are unfruitful and many believers are unfruitful, you know, just seeing maybe small influence in their lives, over believers and that kind of thing. And so the contrast is that Jesus speaks of a fruitfulness that comes when the seed is planted, when the grain of corn is planted. Remember the principle of growth, first, the blade, then the ear after that, the full corn in the ear. So in order for the hard exterior of the wheat kernel to be broken down for the life of that seed to actually come to fruition, the seed must be broken down in a way. And that occurs when the seed is planted in the soil and the hard exterior begins to soften and decay. And in fact, it provides initial nutrients for the young sprout, which would otherwise die. And of course, you know, crop failure. So how does all of this relate to us? Well we have been learning in Romans chapter 6 that we must recon ourselves to be dead in deed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus. Before the softening of the Holy spirit. His influence upon the human heart, softening the human heart before that can, function in a believers' life. We have to recon ourselves as dead to that cold, hard, selfish self. Now there are many who want to do God's work. And I hope that there are many who listen to this, who desire to do God's work, but they're unable to and sometimes even ask themselves why. And that's a good place to be in when you're asking why, because it'll bring you to a place in which you see the hardness of your own heart, the outer husk of the flesh of our own lives. Now our heavenly father understands this, and it's he who takes the initiative in this matter. And once we begin to desire more, in fact, I would say that God causes that dissatisfaction in the Christian life, you know, and, dissatisfaction with where we're at, and what's going on in our lives. He causes this in order for you and I to begin asking questions, isn't there more? What more could I be doing in this life? Is there more than just being saved? How can I be more active for him? How can I be more fruitful, for the Lord? Now, God must engineer a transition in believers' lives from being that hard kernel of grain to being fruitful, fellowshipping, disciples. And he will, he will, um, map the most effective transition for that, for all believers. God is going to engineer that, and that's in his hands. There's no fear in that, there is entirely a freedom. Have you ever met those Christians who, they stand out, they're very bright, clever, strong. They seem righteous believers. They seem to have everything going for them, but often they're just a little too bright, a little too clever. There seems so much of self in their strength and their righteousness is often very severe and very critical. They have everything. But the problem is, is that they need to face the crucifixion. They need to face this death to self. And this is the very thing that will mold each and every one of us. This is what's needed for growth in tenderness, to be able to walk in the love of God and demonstrate that love to others, is that there has to be a death to self. Because this is about Jesus transforming the us from that hard kernel of grain, God planting us in the soil, of the circumstances in our lives and breaking down the hard outer shell so that the ear, might raise to the full head of grain. Now in Matthew 13, Jesus, presents the parable of the tares, Matthew 13:24. Jesus presented another parable to them saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. If we skip down to 36, then he left the crowds and went into the house and his disciples came to him and said, explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. And he said, the one who sows the good seed is the son of man. And the field is the world. And as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom. And the tares are the sons of the evil one. So in this passage, Jesus is very specific. He says, the Lord of the harvest plants, buries, the Christians as seeds in the field, which is the world Jesus sows his children as seeds in this world to rise to fruitfulness. Well there is a lot of talk right at the moment about, heading for the hills, getting away from the cities, all these kinds of things. And I think that people should be very cautious and very prayerful about those kinds of things. But you and I as believers, we are to be in the world and not of the world. And if all believers headed for the Hills, then we would have to wonder what happens to those who need to hear the gospel. That's a bit of a sidetrack, but it is through God's loving and patient cultivation that He, begins to harvest the believer's life, He begins to bring us into fruitfulness. And part of this is that we come to a place where we fear being fruit-less. And that should be a posture for all believers that we do not want to be fruitless. And if we will die to self, then the Lord can bring us to a place where we bear much fruit. That is his promise to us. This is what God looks for in order to produce a disciple, God is looking for a filial heart hunger for fruit bearing. Now, the term filial just simply means a longing heart of a child towards a father or of one relative toward another relative to receive, some kind of blessing or enrichment out of that one, it's not a, a wrongful desire. This is a loving desire that in other words, a filial desire for my father would be that I am able to, be a wonderful example of my father's life in my life. And so this is the heart of fruit bearing is that you and I are pleading with the Lord to make us fruitful for his name's sake. And it's when we begin down that path of desiring fruitfulness, that God is then able to take our lives, mould us, and shape us. Jesus said in John 12:24 truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. So this is the work of the Holy spirit. In response to a believer's hunger, God begins to strip away the comforts. I mean, think about the description Jesus gives here. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. What does remaining alone mean? It is fruitless. It doesn't produce anything, but if it dies, it's no longer alone. It bears much fruit. If you plant a single grain of wheat, you will reap thousands of grains of wheat. Plant, an Apple seed, grown Apple tree, reap many apples. This is the law of sowing and reaping. And so as part of that law of sowing and reaping, when you and I allow ourselves through this filial heart of desire, desiring to have God's fruitfulness, flow through our lives or be displayed from our lives rather, Desiring that, that God would make us fruitful for his purposes then if we desire that we will be ready to be planted into the earth and die. This dying, of course, is dying to our own desires and our own will, et cetera, et cetera. And God begins to strip away the comfort. Notice what Jesus says there that, when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle. This is in Mark 4:29 because the harvest has come. Sooner or later, the grain of wheat finds itself dropped into the earth, into that darkness of the soil where is alone and it dies. And in that place, you know where it's dropped down from the height of being up in the, in the head of the stalk, sooner or later there it begins to seemingly perish and rot away. The husk begins to break down. And why is this, what does all of this mean? Well, what all this means is that, this is not the heart. This is not who we are. The breaking down of this husk is the removal of all things that are not Christ. So no matter how nice in appearance and professionalism and loveliness a person might be, through this debt to self, all of that exterior will be revealed for what it truly is. That it's just self. Because being just nice or lovely in appearance on the outside may not necessarily represent Christ. It certainly did not represent Christ when he went into the temple and kicked over the tables and whipped the money exchanges. There's a further stripping down that happens right on down until there is nothing left, but Christ. He who is our life. So we go down into death and just have patience in that. If you're yearning is that yearning for a life that bears fruit, if that's your yearning, then God is going to take you on a path. He will plant you into the soil and he will strip you down. But have patience just like job declared, though he slay me, yet will I trust him? Here's an amazing poem from yesteryear. Well, there's a couple of notes before we get onto the poem that I should have put on the screen. Summarising what we're just saying, that discipleship being a disciple of Jesus is going to strip away self, so Christ is revealed. That's a bit of a summary of what we're saying so far that the purpose of this filial heart, the purpose of desiring, for God to be revealed through us to be glorified through us. The purpose of that is so that you and I, can have our selves stripped away and Christ can be revealed through us. Well, let's move on to this wonderful poem called, Accept it fall into the ground. "Accept it fall into the ground and die. Can much fruit come alone at such a cost? Must the seed corn be buried in the earth all summer joy and glory seemingly lost. He buries still his seed corns here and there and calls to deeper fellowship with him. Those who will dare to share the bitter cup. And yet while sharing, sing the triumph hymn. Except it fall into the ground and die. But what a harvest in the days to come when fields stand thick with golden sheaves of corn. And you are sharing in the harvest home, to you who lose your life and let it die. Yet in the losing find your life, a new Christ ever more unveils his lovely face. And thus his mirrored glory rests on you. When the believer takes up his cross, then the process of death begins to set in. And we have seen as we've looked through Romans chapter 6, that it is through this process of death that the life of God is manifested in our lives. And that's when, we find ourselves planted in God's purposes. The process of death begins when a believer takes up his cross for discipleship. And then this is when the disciple is sewn into the field, the world. He might be planted in a home, with unsaved people. He might be planted in a workplace, in an office with unsaved people, might be planted in a community with unsaved people, maybe planted in a church where they're irreligious or, unbelieving people or out to a mission station. It doesn't matter where it is or what it is. When we desire more of the glory of God in our lives, there will be death and from that death, resurrection, life will flow. The glory of God will be manifest in our lives. Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, and we're coming to a close here this morning. 2 Corinthians chapter 4:7. A fantastic passage. 2 Corinthians 4, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Perplexed, but not despairing. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. This is the way that Paul thought is that, I'm always dying to myself because in that way, Jesus can be manifested through me. The more I die, the more he is manifested through me. Paul went on and he said, for we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you, but having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke. We also believe, therefore we speak knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you for all things are for your sakes. So that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying. Remember we talked about the husk that is surrounding the kernel of the grain of weight. That outer husk shiny and hard as it is. That's the outer man. The outer man is decaying. Yet our inner man is being renewed day by day for momentary light affliction is producing for us any eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. While we look, now this verse continues really verse 17, this light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight, of glory far beyond all comparison. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal. This is a powerful truth to be remembered. Continuing with this, another powerful truth that we should remember is that the Messiah could not enter the glory of heaven until He had first given Himself over to death. Once Jesus came to earth and took on this earthly form, took on a human body like ours, it was required that He would be crucified and that following, that crucifixion would be resurrection. Without that crucifixion, without Him giving himself over to death, He could not ascend, to glory. Why did we see things differently? Why is it right that we can think that somehow we can live a life to the glory of God without dying and surrendering self over to His hands? Why do we think that that's even possible if we do? And as we get a hold of this great truth, as we begin thinking about the fact that the Messiah, even the Messiah, the perfect man had to give Himself over to death, God and man in human form, As we consider that we must at least agree that through surrender to death, we share His life. Mark 8 verse 34, he summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me for whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. By the way, a loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. I've said before that when Jesus spoke these words to the crowd who were listening to him, that as he spoke these words, they would completely have understood exactly what Jesus meant when he said, take up your cross and follow me. They, would have known that this was a pathway to death and that is exactly what Jesus was asking them to do. For if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. It's impossible to share his life until indeed, you and I have surrendered ourselves daily to die to sin and die to self, to die, to the law to die to the world. This is where fellowship with our crucified and resurrected saviour begins. So we've learned a lot of truths about the cross. In these recent weeks. We have learned about our death with Christ. I would urge you to go back over Romans chapter 6, and just keep working on that. We've learned about our death under sin with him that by faith, by placing faith in Jesus Christ, we were crucified with him. We died with him. We've learned about our conformity to death, like a corn of wheat falling into the ground to die. And these truths are foundational to the overcoming life. Not only that, they're fundamental to it. These truths are foundational to the life of a disciple. For you to be a disciple, you and I are going to have to, for you and I to be disciples, we're going to have to embrace this fact that we must hunger such a death. We have to hunger for God to plant us into that soil of death so that self can be stripped away and God's glory can reside in our lives and he can be manifest through us, it's in, such a death. That true fruitfulness comes. That's where true fruitfulness is, beloved. That's about all we have for today. We really appreciate you joining with us. Chris made you aware in the beginning, we Cornerstone Gospel Church, our website is cgc.org.au. That's CGC.org.au. We're a nondenominational independent church. Though we're independent, we have some strong links with other like-minded churches. We've been going now for the best part of 18 years, as an independent church. My wife and I have been pastoring, and we have been missionaries since, 1991. We spent six years in Southern China. And we came back in 1997. We came down to the Mornington Peninsula region in 1998. And we were then involved with another organisation and we started Cornerstone as an independent church in 2002. That's a very short bio of Cornerstone. If you're looking for a church, we would love for you to be able to come and feel welcomed to come and join with us, get online with us, interact via the Facebook page and the YouTube channel, and dlive. And just generally get involved. And then as soon as we go back to having meetings, we'll continue to stream, but it won't be quite in this manner. So things will change a little bit, but we really appreciate you taking the time to be with us today, on our inaugural, live stream. Let's just close in a word of prayer. Father, we thank you this morning. We thank you for your love. We thank you for your grace and we thank you for the great truths of scripture that, Lord bring us into those deeper truths. We pray, father, that you would cause a yearning in our hearts, that we will yearn for this death to self, that your life might be manifest through us and then we might then be truly declared as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, glorifying yourself in us in the mighty name of Christ. Amen. Well, thanks for being with us and until next live stream, we'll see you then.

Last week we talked about what is really important in life. For all of us, life is a journey. Some are at the start, many in the middle, and for some the journey draws to an end.   I want to start a series on the journey of life, because we all are in it. And when you talk journeys in the Bible we need to go straight to the big one… The Exodus. We’re going to start today looking at the call of God.   ONLY ONE LIFE   The first point to make is that you have only one life. You don’t get 2 or 3 lives, you’re not doing the Buddhist thing repeating life again and again, the Bible says you get one life…   Hebrews 9:27 (ESV Strong's) And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,   If you mess this one life up, you can’t replay it. I saw a sign which said, I’m a computer gamer. Don’t tell me to get a life, I have dozens of lives. But that’s fake, folks, it isn’t real. If you mess your one life up, if you waste years, if you invest you life into the wrong thing, you can’t die and start again.   After his death, Martin Luther was found to have written 2 phrases in the margin of his Bible… "Born once - die twice; Born twice - die once". What he was saying was that, everyone is born once, then they die a physical death, followed by eternal death. But if you are born twice, that is born again, you only face physical death and receive eternal life.   But we all will die, and we all get one shot at life. Maybe you think you’ve blown your shot at life. Maybe you’ve messed up or missed opportunities.   Joel 2:25 (ESV Strong's) I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,   It’s not too late, you can rediscover God’s calling on your life today, right here, and begin the journey, knowing your God is for you and can restore anything you’ve squandered so far on the journey. It’s not too late for you!   YOU HAVE BEEN PREPARED   Looking back at my life I see the hand of God preparing me to serve Him in my calling. I see things that have happened, good and bad people I have met, some who helped and some who hindered. I see Scriptures confirming, despite what others might say, the gift and call of God as a pastor.   And God has been preparing you too, as was said to Esther…   Esther 4:14 (ESV Strong's) And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”   Everything you’ve gone through, the success, the failures, the times you’ve let God and those who love you down. The pain of rejection, failure, loneliness, even foolish decisions, God can use it all for good ultimately when we obey Him…   Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV Strong's) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.   Moses was called of God to lead the people on a great journey. You might say, well that was him, he’s was a great man, but I’m just me. I have this problem, this family, this disability, this hurt. But right at the start, when God called Moses for this great task, He was well aware of Moses’ failings.   Moses had a rough upbringing, but he got a break when he was brought up in the Pharaoh’s palace. Then he lost his temper and killed a man, then ran away. He spent 40 years in the wilderness, and some of you here have spent years wandering away from God or church in a wilderness of your own. That doesn’t disqualify you, it just prepares you for the moment when God calls again.   YOU ARE CALLED   Exodus 3:2-4 (ESV Strong's) And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”   God often uses something to capture of attention. What’s your burning bush. Maybe it is the loss of someone you love, perhaps a poor medical diagnosis. Maybe you’ve come to Ignite this morning with a sense in your heart that God has something for you. Today He is capturing your attention.   And fair play to Moses, when God called he replied, “Here I am.”   So what are you going to say right now to God? Lord, can’t fit You into my schedule. Lord, I’m not worthy. Lord, I’m offended by what the pastor did, or what this or that person said. Why not just put all that aside and say, here I am listening.   (Lord speak to us about your calling upon our lives).   THE RESPONSE TO THE CALL   The Lord called Moses using a burning bush, but after initially being open to the voice of God, Moses pulled away when he caught a glimpse of what God was calling him to take on. Instead of offering obedience, he offered excuses, and most of us offer the same thing when God calls us. Here’s 5 he offered…   1.      WHO AM I?   Exodus 3:10-11 (ESV Strong's) Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”   Moses first response to the call for leadership was, who am I? He doubted himself, he doubted that God could use someone like him.   Moses struggled with his identity. He just didn’t feel qualified; he thought God had picked the wrong leader.   And some of you here are like that… you doubt that God can use someone like you. You have hang ups, fears, failures. You’ve done things you are ashamed of, you’ve hurt people you were supposed to love. You’ve failed.   Well Moses did all that, plus murder! What ever has happened in the past, whatever you feel towards yourself, you need to stop and recognise that God is God. He made you, He has a plan for you and He doesn’t make mistakes! All you need to do is walk with Him in obedience.   Isaiah 29:16 (ESV Strong's) Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?   If you are a Christian, the Spirit of God lives in you, so you can’t use the excuse, who am I.  Moses doubted who he was, wondering if God can use a screw up like him. But history shows God does use the base things of this world to confound the wise. Stop doubting the Potter and let Him shape you!   God’s response was:   Exodus 3:12 (ESV Strong's) He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”   God said, It doesn’t matter who you are. I am with you…   2.      WHO ARE YOU?   So Moses countered with a second excuse: Who are You?   Exodus 3:13 (ESV Strong's) Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”   It’s one thing to doubt yourself, but another entirely to doubt God! Moses felt a lack of intimacy. He didn’t know God well enough to describe him to the people and lacked convictions concerning his relationship with God.   God’s response was:   Exodus 3:14 (ESV Strong's) God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”   I AM WHO I AM. I AM ever present. I AM everything you need…   Destiny is not something that happens to you. Destiny is a series of choices, and the first step towards your destiny in God is to decide to get to know Him. Do the Bible reading plan, come to church, hunger and thirst for righteousness.   3.      WHO ARE THEY?   Exodus 4:1 (ESV Strong's) Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’”   Moses doubted himself, and God, and now he moves on to doubting the people, and how they will respond. When God calls us one of our big fears is how others will respond.   Moses felt intimidated. He was worried about the people’s reaction to him. He was fearful of what others would say. And we are no different today. Our world today is full of opinion, and every feels they can have their say no matter the consequences. People fire up and speak and hurt others all the time, and yes even in church. Listen, someone’s opinion is not more powerful than the call of God.   God’s response was: When I’m finished, they’ll listen. In Exodus 4:2-9 God outlines 3 signs to confirm Moses’ calling as leader of the people… A staff that turns into  a snake, skin that turns leprous then heals again, and water that turns into blood.   Whatever anybody says, whatever they think of me, I know the calling of God on my life, I know my integrity and I see the fruit.   4.      I DON’T HAVE THE SKILL   Exodus 4:10 (ESV Strong's) But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”   Moses fretted about his inadequacies. Who would listen to him if he couldn’t even speak well? He looked at his skills and said, hey, I’m not equipped to minister like You’re calling me to, Lord!   Many of you here look around and compare yourself with others. If they’re worse than you, you feel pride. If they’re better, you feel inadequate. Comparisons are deadly and never productive.   God has placed within you skills, talents and abilities some of which you don’t even yet know about. If He calls you, He equips you, because He never calls you to fail and ruin your life.   God’s response was: Guess who made your mouth? (4:11-12).   Exodus 4:11-12 (ESV Strong's) Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”   That’s why church is important if you want to serve the Lord… It equips you. My role as a pastor is to equip you to fulfil your destiny.   Ephesians 4:11-12 (ESV Strong's) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,   So if you feel inadequate, take a number and stand in line because we all do. But then get equipped and trained the best way you can and watch God lead you into the most exciting destiny you could ever imagine.   5.      FIND SOMEONE ELSE   So finally, after all the excuses, we get to the truth…Moses felt inferior. He compared himself to others—even his brother—and decided that he came up short. Then he told God to find someone else… This made God angry…   Exodus 4:13 (ESV Strong's) But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”   God has a destiny on your life. God is calling you to serve and make a difference, to do something significant, something that will last for eternity… but are you saying, “No, Lord, send someone else?”   There will always be more talented, better qualified, more attractive people out there.   1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV Strong's) But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;   And He chooses you. With all your hang ups, sins, feelings of inadequacy, he chooses you. Why? No idea, it’s His decision.   There are many beautiful women in the world, movie stars, models and Kardashians. But I choose Fiona. I see in her something that all the others girls, for all their glamour, don’t have. She’s the one that I want, oo-oo-oo, honey. And in the same way, God chooses you.   God’s response to Moses’ final excuse was: OK, I will let Aaron go with you . . . but I’m still calling you…   Exodus 4:16 (ESV Strong's) He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.   I will speak to you, you to him and him to the people. But you’re still it, Moses.   FIX YOUR EYES ON THE CALL   So at the start of this great journey of faith, Moses heard the call of God. He made excuses, he ducked and weaved, but in the end, he decided to be obedient. And this call was important, because the burning bush and the call of God remained with him all his life, even in the tough times.   When Pharaoh attacked, he could fix his eyes on the call. With his back to the Red Sea, he could fix his eyes on that call. When the people moaned, when they rebelled, when they sent him nasty emails and texts, when those closest to him, people he trusted actually rebelled against him… he stood through it all, because he had a call.   So what is God calling you to today? Maybe it’s a call you thought long dead, but it has only been dormant. Maybe your searching right now for a place to fit, and a ministry to pursue. And when you know you’re called, doesn’t matter what they say, doesn’t matter what they do, you know in your heart of hearts that God has called you.   WALK INTO YOUR DESTINY   Robert Krulwich, science correspondent for NPR, believes it is impossible for humans to walk in a straight line   Jan Souman, a scientist from Germany, conducted an experiment, where he blindfolded his subjects and then asked them to walk for an hour in a straight line. Without exception, people couldn’t do it.   Of course, everybody thinks they’re walking in a straight line, until they remove the blindfolds and see their crooked path.   According to this research, there’s only one way we can avoid our normal crooked course and actually walk in a straight line: if we fix our eyes on something ahead of us. Kurlwich concluded, “Without external cues, there’s apparently something in us that makes us turn [from a straight path].”   Isaiah 30:21 (ESV Strong's) And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.   To move towards our destiny, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, and listen because He is calling us. We must press on, and unless we fix our eyes on Jesus and His calling upon our lives, we will stray.   Philippians 3:14 (ESV Strong's) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   Some of you here today have lost your way, but I want to give you he opportunity right now to refocus on the calling of God in your life. Are you tired, weary, hurt or discouraged? Some of you here believe the calling is lost forever, but it’s not. God is patiently waiting for you to stop giving excuses and start giving obedience.

Exodus 3:1-16; 4:1-14Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.Then Moses answered, “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail”—so he reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand— “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous as white as snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back into your cloak”—so he put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his body— “If they will not believe you or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign. If they will not believe even these two signs or heed you, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.” But he said, “O my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “What of your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Matthew 10:39   But many who are first will be last, and the last first. Mark 10:31 NIV   Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:12 NIV   PAR·A·DOX: A SEEMINGLY ABSURD OR SELF-CONTRADICTORY STATEMENT OR PROPOSITION THAT WHEN INVESTIGATED OR EXPLAINED MAY PROVE TO BE WELL FOUNDED OR TRUE.     Makarios: Joy which has its secret within itself, that joy which is serene and untouchable, and self-contained that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and changes of life.     THE BEATITUDES ARE NOT SITUATIONS YOU FIND YOURSELF IN, BUT THEY ARE A SET OF CREEDS, MOTTOS, AND MINDSETS YOU LIVE BY!   Truly, deep within my true identity, I love to do what pleases God. But I discern another power operating in my humanity, waging a war against the moral principles of my conscience and bringing me into captivity as a prisoner to the “law” of sin—this unwelcome intruder in my humanity. Romans 7:22-23 TPT   THE WORLD’S CREED IS SELF-RELIANCE   “Trust thyself, every heart vibrates to that iron string. Discontent is the want of self-reliance. It is infirmity of will.” Ralph Waldo Emerson     GOD INSPIRED ACTION, NOT SELF INSPIRED ACTION.     The longings to do what is right are within me, but willpower is not enough to accomplish it. Romans 7:18 TPT   So who has the power to rescue this miserable man from the unwelcome intruder of sin and death? I give all my thanks to God, for his mighty power has finally provided a way out through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! So if left to myself, the flesh is aligned with the law of sin, but now my renewed mind is fixed on and submitted to God’s righteous principles. Romans 7:24-25   THE PARADOX OF JESUS’ BEATITUDES: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:3-4 NIV   “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. Genesis 18:27   But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”…But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Exodus 3:11;4:10   THIS MINDSET IS A PARADOX BECAUSE AT FIRST, YOU THINK IT IS INVITING SELF-DEPRECATION INTO YOUR LIFE, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY INVITING DIVINE APPLICATION INTO YOUR LIFE!   Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12     “The biblical antidote to low self-esteem is not high self-esteem; it is sovereign grace.” John Piper   Because Abraham believed God’s words, his faith transferred God’s righteousness into his account… But no one earns God’s righteousness. It can only be transferred when we no longer rely on our own works, but believe in the one who powerfully declares the ungodly to be righteous in his eyes. Romans 4:3;5 TPT     Then I would still have this consolation—my joy in unrelenting pain— that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. Job 6:10 NIV     God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Numbers 23:19   TAKE HOME ➡   SURRENDER- There must be an emptying of SELF before there can be a filling of God’s promises.

Alexa: Hello there, Happy New Year. We are into the starting of the new year. I believe You would already have goals for this year. So I pray to God, May God fulfil all your needs and help you to achieve your goals. This week, we are going to listen about Moses and how Moses trained Joshua to take up his position. Moses: I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, `You shall not cross the Jordan.` The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Alexa: Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, Moses: Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged Alexa: So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. Look at the Moses leadership... As a leader, Moses trained Joshua and also wrote all the laws for whole Israel community to read and follow. Then Moses commanded them. Moses: listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God. Alexa: After Moses taught laws to Israel People. The Lord said to Moses, Lord: Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, where I will commission him. Alexa: Then Lord commissioned Joshua in the tent and also predicts about Israel Peoples rebellion. So Moses wrote the song about Israel's Rebellion and sang in front of Israel People for them to remember what lord has predicted. Also, Moses blesses all Israel people by tribes. Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the Lord said to him, Lord: This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, `I will give it to your descendants.` I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” After that, Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, `yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone`. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over. See, How greatly Moses lead the Israel People. Our great God, lead Moses from the day of born till his last life. As we read in the Bible, God already made the plan before we born. So God has a great plan about you. Be Submissive to our God for him to work and do a miracle in our Life. Hope you enjoyed the Story. I will come up with another series about Joshua in the next episode. Until then Goodbye. Visit us: http://listengod.tk Follow us: facebook - @listengod https://www.facebook.com/ListenGod Twitter - @listengod1 https://twitter.com/@listengod1

When I was young in the faith, back in the early 90's, there was a question I heard asked so often it became a cliche. "You say Jesus is your Savior but is He your Lord?" Now, years later, that question is on my mind again but with a difference. Part one of Faith ©2019 Mike Kerby & Jesus' Outsider Ministries

Numbers 11:1 [ Fire From the Lord ] Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. In Context | Full Chapter

Two Categories of Humans: True Worshipers and False Worshipers Alright, so we come this morning to the second last sermon, I'm going to preach in the Book of Isaiah, but the last chapter of the book of Isaiah, next week, God willing I'm going to give an overview of the whole Book of Isaiah I could go through this book all over again. I love the Book of Isaiah, I've loved this journey. But next week what I'm going to do is I'm going to trace out specifically Christ in the Book of Isaiah, and the Gospel, and we're going to go from Isaiah 1 to 66 one more time. But this is the last chapter, the final chapter in the book of Isaiah what a fitting conclusion it is Isaiah is the most visionary of all, the Old Testament prophets and take an average section of the Book of Isaiah, close your eyes and images come in vision right from the beginning, Isaiah 1:2 the word of the Lord that Isaiah son of Amos, saw it's a vision, And so this most visionary of prophets comes to an incredible and fitting end to his incredible book, and that is a revelation of the eternal state of both the righteous and the wicked, the final chapter of Isaiah divides the human race as we've seen again and again into two categories. I'm going to unify it around this one idea of true and false worship we're going to follow the idea of worship. There's different ways we could look at this chapter, but we're going to look at true worshipers versus false worshippers. And the outcome. It describes very plainly the heart and behavior of both the true worshippers, and the false worshippers, as well as their eternal destinies, heaven and hell, the Book of Isaiah, ends with the vision of the new heavens and the new earth with Zion the New Jerusalem eternally populated by true worshippers from every nation on earth who are going to be continually falling down before God and worshiping him. But Isaiah also ends literally ends with the last verse that you heard Joel just read, verse 24 it ends with a clear depiction of hell. The state of eternal death, in which rebellious human beings will suffer in plain view, of the redeemed for all eternity. And I think it's appropriate that this theme of worship, both true worship and false worship unifies this final chapter. Because the human race, we were created to worship. Our hearts our souls were made to find worth and value. And to esteem it and have it flow out in our words, we're made to worship. In Romans chapter 1, talks about how we have given over that heart to idols. We exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator, who is forever praised amen Romans 1:25, the clearest the best definition of idolatry in the Bible. Idolatry has been front and center throughout the Book of Isaiah. We've seen it again and again. As has God's work of redemption his plan of redemption in reclaiming ex-idolaters healing us of our idolatry and bringing us over to worship God in spirit and in truth. I. True Worshipers Delightful, False Worshipers Detestable (vs. 1- 4) And so we come to this final book and we begin in an amazing way verses 1-4, we're going to see true worshipers delightful and false worshippers detestable. True Worshipers Tremble Before the Throne and Word of God Let's begin at 66:1-2. "This is what the LORD says: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' declares the LORD. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.'" So God declares right at the beginning of this chapter, once again he is ineffable he is immeasurable. He is infinite majesty, this immense God has been the center of the whole Book of Isaiah, and here He declares the impossibility of finite man, making anything suitable, any place suitable for him to dwell any suitable place for us to worship Him, and the impossibility really of making a finite container for this infinite God. The Jews were continually tempted to be overly impressed with their temple, their own structure, that they built for worship and with the religion that flowed from it. Before the exile, the Babylon after the time of Isaiah, but right before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, in the book, of a book of Jeremiah, the Jeremiah the prophet had to stand at the gates of the temple and say to the Jewish people "Do not say in your hearts, we have the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord." Three times they said it, why? Because they were clinging to it, "God would never allow this city to be destroyed, he would never allow the temple to be destroyed." Religious people are always tempted to trust in their religion. To trust in their habits, the habits of piety and the beauty of their sanctuaries, that they made with their own hands, and they think that those actions make them righteous. But Solomon himself when he dedicated his beautiful temple, and he stood and he spread out his hands to pray. It came to a certain point I think, through the Spirit working on his heart, a point of humility First Kings 8:27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" Well, that's just a beautiful humility that King Solomon had saying, "What is this structure?" And I love what he says "heaven, even the highest heavens cannot contain you" there's no container for God. There's no barrier, no boundary line to which God goes up and reaches and that barrier says, "This far, you may go God and no further." There's no such thing. God fills heaven and earth with his complete presence. This is the doctrine of God's omnipresence. We could also say the doctrine of God's immensity. They're really probably the same thing in the end. God is 100% present everywhere in the universe with all of his being. "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" He says. And so he declares his sovereign dominion over heaven and earth. "Heaven is my throne," he says, "It's the place where I sit to dwell." "The earth is my footstool." The Heavens, the physical heavens that we can see with telescopes are in-comprehensively immense. The astronomers tell us that the observable universe is 46 billion light years across. That's something that we have no conception of. They tell us that light year's the distance that light can travel in one year. Physicists tell us that light is the fastest thing there is in the physical universe. So 46 billion years, it would take light to go from one side to the other, but they don't really know. They don't really understand what they're talking about and neither do I, but the creator of the universe fills all that space with all of his being all the time. So any earthly temple, any soaring stone cathedral built over two centuries with European limestone or marble or anything like that with beautiful, majestic, stained glass windows or any modern steel and glass worship center, state of the art technology doesn't really matter. Any man-made place of worship anywhere on the face of the earth is as nothing to God. He asked in effect in this in this verse, "Where in the world could there be anything that you could make that would possibly house me?" He really does mean to put us in our place here. The Hebrew is emphatic. It puts us in our place. We desire to glorify God by building soaring edifices, mighty cathedrals, flying buttresses, all of that. And you go to some of those cathedrals in Europe and they'll just take your breath away. We are impressed, but God is not impressed. There's nothing about them that impresses him. He actually to some degree, says, "I have a hard time finding them. I'm not able to see them. That's not where I'm looking. Heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool. If you were to decorate the place that where my feet rest and you were to find gold and silver and costly stones and pearls and all that kind of thing, it would still not catch my eye at all. It wouldn't captivate my gaze." Actually, all of the building materials you would use are already God's before you even started. They belonged to him. Look at verse two, "Has not my hand made all these things. And so they came into being." They all belong to me, God is saying. Every atom in the universe is already God's, including every atom in your brain and every item in your hands. So the brain by which you would come up with the blueprint for the dwelling place for God, and the hands by which you would build that dwelling place for God and the building materials that you would use. All of it already belong to God already. All of it, for from him and through him and to him are all things, to him be the glory forever. So what captivates God's attention? What holds his gaze? What is he looking for? Well, he tells us here. This is the one to whom I will look. This is what radiant beauty looks like to me. You want to be beautiful. You want to capture God's gaze? He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at my word. Humble and contrite and spirit means you're deeply aware, first of your creatureliness, you're created. He's the creator. And you're humble about that. There's an infinite gap between you and the creator, even if you have never sinned, but you have sinned. So secondly, that you're deeply aware of your sinfulness and God's holiness. You're deeply aware that your righteous acts cannot save you. And so Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with this statement, "Blessed are poor in spirit [the spiritual beggars] for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." You are destitute spiritually and you know it, and you tremble at his word. God's resting place is here. It's among his humble, brokenhearted people who have been saved from their sins by his grace in Christ. God is searching out such a resting place. He is seeking such a place where he will settle down finally and worship and live with his people. So what he really wants from us is humility here in this text, brokenness. And he says, those who tremble at my word. What does this mean to tremble at God's word? Trembling is a physical physiological reaction, can be caused by a lot of things, could be caused by disease. Physiologically, your nervous system could be sending signals to your muscles and you're trembling. But this seems to be a trembling that comes because of thoughts, ideas, something that you're thinking about. Well, in that case you could be trembling because you're a thief about to get caught. You're surrounded and you're trembling with fear of getting caught or you could tremble because the best thing in your life that you never thought could happen is about to happen. Maybe your wedding day, or maybe your husband was a POW and he's been released and you can't wait for him to come down the gangway. And you see him and your trembling and you run and embrace after years of being apart. There's a lot of different reasons that we tremble. I think the thing here is that we're trembling concerning our own sinfulness and God's holiness. We're trembling concerning the just wrath of God that we deserve. But we're also trembling with expectation and how great and majestic and beautiful this God is. And we want to see him. And so there's this trembling at all of these deep themes of God's word. But either way, no matter how you look at it, what it means is by faith, you're taking this word seriously. You know this isn't merely the word of man, but it is the word of God as it actually is at work in you who believe. So you tremble at it and you take it seriously and you're humbled. That's the one that God looks to. Does this Characterize You? Now, let me just stop and ask you a question, does this characterize you? This is my application right in the middle of the sermon. Does this honestly characterize you? Are you humble and contrite in spirit, and do you tremble at God's Word? Are you deeply humbled by your sin and God's holiness? Do you understand that if you are to be saved, it will only be by the grace of God in Christ, His shed blood on the cross, is the only way you're going to survive Judgment Day. Are you aware of that? Do you seek also dynamically humility more and more? Do you seek to be more humble, a year from now than you are now? Do you see actually pride as a big problem in your life. It's an ongoing issue. Do you see that actually its corrupting your relationships? If you're married, it's corrupting your marriage. The biggest problem you have in your marriage, is your pride. It's corrupting your friendships, it's corrupting everything you touch. The pride is there, it's like, "Oh God, would you humble me?" It's like you cling to the promise, no longer a threat but a promise. At the end of the Book of Daniel that Nebuchadnezzar learn when God changed his mind to the mind of an animal, then turned it back after seven years. Those who walk in pride, He is able to humble. Then do it, Oh God, humble me. I want to be genuinely broken and contrite in spirit, and I want to tremble at your word. Begin every day, say, "Oh God I want to capture your gaze, I want you to like looking at me, I want you to enjoy looking at me, I want to be beautiful to you. Would you please make me humble and contrite in spirit? Would you give me a heart of trembling after your word?" False Worshipers Make Detestable Sacrifices Now conversely, in verse 3, we have false worshippers. Who are making detestable sacrifices. And if I can just stop, the dynamic as we've seen again in Isaiah, it's going to go back and forth from the righteous to the wicked and back again. It weaves all the way through the chapter as it does all the way through our experience. This is a world of wheat and weeds, of good fish and bad fish, all gathered by the same dragnet. We are mixed together in this world, and so this chapter is mixed together as well. Look at verse 3, "But whoever sacrifices a bull, is like one who kills a man, whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck. Whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig's blood and whoever burns Memorial incense is like one who worships an idol." Now here God is condemning the false worship of Israel. Now, there's two possibilities in my mind as I look at that, either he's condemning the Pharisee, type person, who outwardly is following the laws of Moses, through these right sacrifices but inwardly is totally corrupt. He's a white washed tomb that looks good on the outside, but inside full of dead men's bones and everything impure and unclean. Full of pride and lust, and covetousness and murder and idolatry. But outwardly, he's doing what the law requires. "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Or he's talking about a syncretism, it was a big problem in Israel, where they mixed together, the pure religion that they got from Moses and the Canaanite religions that were there in the land, and they mixed them together. The Jews did this as well, syncretism, mixing together, the religion of the Bible with the religion of the world. Either way, it's a remarkable list, making lawful mosaic sacrifice is compared to the most vile things you could ever imagine to offer to God, to offer a bowl, if your heart is wrong, if you don't have that broken humble, contrite spirit, trembling at God's Word, and you're offering, a sacrifice that the law of Moses commanded, its corrupt to offer a bull, something as costly as a bull, that's an expensive animal, to offer a bull is as bad as killing a man to God. To offer a lamb is as bizarre as breaking a dog's neck. To present a grain offering is as repulsive God, as presenting pigs blood. To burn sweet smelling incense is as repulsive as bowing down to an idol. It's an interesting mix there. So the religious pattern, the external pattern means nothing if the heart's not right behind it. Now, this is a warning to us as Evangelical Christians. Again, I just want to stop and apply this right here. We have our own sacred list of biblically mandated duties, we have the Bible in the New Testament telling us to do certain things and we can become proud of them, and have corrupted lives and corrupted hearts, pray the sinner's prayer, realize that you're a sinner, water baptism follows, church membership, church involvement, attendance at worship, weekly attendance, daily quiet times. And then even some of the more advanced aspects of the Christian life, you could memorize scripture, you could be out doing street evangelism, you could be committed to missions, all of these things are good and right and beautiful but if they're done from a corrupted heart, they're not acceptable to God any more than these were back in the old covenant. So, it's a warning to us. None of these things can save us. False Worshipers Judged for Not Heeding God’s Word Now, the false worshippers. Are judged in verse 3 and 4 for not heeding God's word. "They have chosen their own ways and their souls delight in their abominations. And then further on, when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight, and shows what displeases me." So the essence of false religion is independence from the Word of God. God told them what to do, He called, but they didn't listen. He made it very plain in His word, what He wants from us, but they crafted their own religion. This goes all the way back to Cain, remember where Cain offered up something God hadn't told him to offer. And he said, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" He did what was wrong in offering that, he made up his own religion. So their punishment is extreme. Verse 4, "So I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring upon them, what they dread." They chose their path, they made up their own religion. But God is going to choose their end and it will be terrifying. Fundamentally, they did not tremble at His word, but they were deaf to his calls. Now, for us in the new covenant era, the call is this: believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, repent and believe the good news. That's the call. And so God is now calling He's saying, "Call on me while I'm near. Seek the Lord while I may be found. This is the day of salvation. Now is the time." But, people hear that and they go their own way, they have their own answers to life's ultimate questions. II. False Worshipers Persecute, True Worshipers Prosper (vs. 5- 14a) Now, in Verses 5-14, we see false worshippers persecute and true worshippers prosper. The rest of this chapter, God directly addresses His children. It's written to them, but He never stops talking about the wicked, the false worshippers are much in view but they're always referred to in the third person for the rest of the chapter. Their punishment is clear for His elected children to see. So true worshipper or false worshippers persecute the true, look at Verse 5, it says, "Hear the word of the Lord you who tremble at His word." So, He's talking to the believers, talking to the children of God, "Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word, your brothers who hate you and exclude you because of my name have said, 'let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy, yet they will be put to shame.'" There is a deep-seated enmity between the children of God and the children of the devil, they're at war with each other in world view if not physically, even. We have radically different ways of looking at everything in the world, and we have to be in the same world. God addresses those who tremble at His word, the true followers of Christ. And He speaks of brothers, your brothers who hate and exclude you. Now, obviously that happened from the very beginning with Cain when he killed his brother, Abel over matters of religion because Abel's offerings were offered by faith and Cains were not, and he hated him. Now in redemptive history, the first followers of Christ were all Jewish so also were the first persecutors of Christians. And so we could really just stop right there with this verse, but we could make it more universal just in terms of other human beings who do not believe in the Lord. But here, within in the issue of Jews, Jesus said it was going to be this way. In John 16:2 & 3, speaking of Jews who do not believe in Christ, to the true followers, he said, "They will put you out of the synagogue. In fact, your time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a sacrifice to God, they will do such things because they have not known the Father or me." So he's predicting Jewish persecution of followers of Jesus. Now, here in Verse 5, these false brothers so to speak, hated them who trembled at God's Word and they cast them out and they excluded them because of God's name. For Christ's name sake, ultimately, they excluded them, they kicked them out and they mocked them. Now, what they say is interesting, "Let God be glorified that we may see your joy." I don't know what that means, it sounds good to me, but in the context it's clearly mockery. So they're using this kind of religious slogan to mock their faith but look at the outcome. False Worshipers Destroyed by the Lord The false worshippers will be destroyed by the Lord, verse 5 & 6, "Yet they will be put to shame." Verse 6, "Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple, it is the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies all they deserve." So in the end, God brings judgment on these mocking adversaries. He did it in the time of Jeremiah by destroying the temple, He did it after the New Testament era in 70AD by destroying the temple again. And so it's a double fulfillment of this prophecy, hear the uproar from the city. Listen to the noise from the temple, what is the noise? What's the uproar? Destruction, wrath. So also is the final condemnation that comes at the end of the chapter. In the new universe, the eternal destination of the wicked, that also a clear display of the wrath of God. True Worshipers Born Instantly by the Lord Now we go back to the true worshipers verse 5:7-9 he says, by contrast, even while the markers are persecuting in the church, the church is exploding in size among the gentiles. There is a nation getting born in an instant, miraculously. Isaiah 7-9, "Before she goes into labor, she gives birth, before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son." Now all you women who are mothers or future mothers, you're like, "Amen, let it be, Lord, minimize my labor pains, oh please." Pray the prayer of Jabez concerning that, "Oh God, minimize my pain." But here we have this incredible image, "'Before she goes into labor she gives birth, before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet, no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?' says the Lord, 'Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?' says your God." Now for me, I just am doing all the work that we've done in the book of Isaiah to understand this properly. Jewish people could just say, "this is talking about the restoration, the Jew is back," I think this is so much bigger than that. We've seen this image before. Isaiah 54 talks about a woman Zion who's going to be in labor and give birth to more children than she can possibly imagine. She has to have a bigger tent. Enlarge the place of your tent, you're going to have more children than you can count. So this I think is the same image, this must be friends, the explosive spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth, that's what we're talking about here, a nation born in an instant. And the effects of the curse are gone, the woman Zion gives birth instantly and seemingly with no labor pains, she gives birth to an entire nation in a single day. So we got to go to the beginning of the church age, the day of Pentecost, remember that day began with 120 believers in the upper room ended with 3000, plus 120 believers. What a day. Perhaps the greatest single day in gathering, nothing ever like it of its kind. And who was it that came in? Their geographic spread was laid out for us in Acts 2, 9-11, "Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs." All over the Mediterranean, they were there. They had Pentecost came to faith in Christ, a nation born in a single day with no labor. And so the Gospel started spreading like wildfire across that region, across Rome conquered Rome spiritually within three centuries, really short time and it's been spreading ever since. And these Gentile converts that are in view here, being brought in, they become sons and daughters of Abraham. Galatians 3:7, even better. There's sons and daughters of the living God. It is written in John 1:12-13 that Jesus "came to that which was his own, but his own people did not receive him.. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God. Children who are born not natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God." And so a nation gets born spiritually in an instant. And the sovereign power of God's on display here. Look at verse nine. "'Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?' says the Lord. 'Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?'" There's no miscarriages here. No one... No stillborn. No one dies in labor. When God pours out His Spirit on the elect, they will come to faith in Christ. No one gets left behind. No one gets lost. Jesus said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me, I will never drive them away… and I will raise them up at the last day." Isn't that beautiful? So he said, "I'm not going to bring to the point of birth and then they don't get delivered." They're going to get born again because God is powerful. True Worshipers Prosper Richly in Zion Now in verses 10-14, these true worshipers prosper richly in Zion. The river of converts are going to be flowing into Zion, the new Jerusalem. Making her amazingly wealthy. Again verse 10 through 14, "Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance. For this is what the LORD says: 'I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. 14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants.'" So it's just a river of blessing flowing into Zion from the ends of the earth. These Gentile converts, these adopted sons and daughters of Abraham, adopted sons and daughters of God are going to become delighted in the new Jerusalem, ultimately. Paul says very plainly in Galatians 4 that it's not the Jerusalem that's below. She's in bondage with her children. But we're talking about the Jerusalem that's above. And we'll be delighted in it and we can't wait to see it. This radiant city that will last forever. And this river of converts coming from every tribe and language and people and nation are going to be deeply, richly, comforted by her and they will enrich her with all of their hearts, all of their souls, giving the treasures of their heart to Christ ultimately in worship. And as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also the comforts of Christ flow over and we are comforted. And we know we're going to a world where there'll be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. We will be comforted by that and we will see the glory of God in all of those things. Verses 10 through 14, that's what's coming. III. False Worshipers Condemned, True Worshipers Commissioned (vs. 14b-21) But halfway through verse 14, we switch again to the false worshippers that are condemned. The wicked continue to be in view in this chapter, but this is a world of both wheat and weeds. And so look at 14B, "The hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants, but as fury will be shown to his foes." Verse 15, "Behold, the Lord is coming with fire and his chariots are like a whirlwind and he will bring down his anger with fury and there's rebuke with flames of fire." Verse 16, "For with fire and with his sword, the Lord will execute judgment upon all men and many will be those slain by the Lord." God's mighty hand to save will be on display to his servants. They will see how He will save them but they will also see the judgment and wrath will bring to his enemies. So these verses speak with terrifying clarity of the future vengeance of the Lord on the wicked. God's going to pour out His fury on them. The Book of Revelation to which God willing, we're going to go next after next week's sermon on Isaiah one more. But then we're going to begin a journey through the Book of Revelation. And it depicts more clearly than any book of the Bible what this verse is talking about. Like when the sixth trumpet blows in Revelation 9:18. It says "A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths." A third of mankind. Two or three billion people dying at one time. It staggers the mind. And then at the second coming of Christ, Christ comes back with the sword coming out of His mouth. Not literally, but metaphorically because that's the weapon. All he has to do this is to say to His enemies "Be dead and be damned" and that's it. He has that kind of power. And so Revelation 19:21, it says "The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse and the birds came and gorge themselves on their flesh." This is terrifying. This is the terrifying wrath and vengeance of God and it's real and it's coming. And the elect are the only ones who take it seriously. The elect are the only ones that take this seriously and this is part of what it means to tremble at his word. Pagan worship of the enemies is singled out here. Look at verse 17. "Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things, they will meet their end together." I think this is just talking about the disgusting religions of the world. The religions of the world have led people to do bizarre disgusting things. And I think to some degree, you'll get Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, the animistic religion, the tribal religions, they lead people to do repulsive disgusting things. I think it's Satan's mockery of us who are created an image of God. He can deceive us and get us to think clever thoughts and do degrading, degrading things. But the end will be judgment from the Lord. But then we turn back to true worshippers, in verse 18-21, these true worshippers are commissioned to bring in the nation. So here we have missions again, one last time in the book. There have been many examples of great commissions in the Book of Isaiah. Jesus said this after his resurrection, he rose from the dead, he goes to the upper room. Luke 24: He opened their minds, so that they could understand the scriptures, [including Isaiah] He told them, 'This is what is written: that Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem, you are witnesses of these things.'" it's written. So here we have this prediction plainly. Look at verse 18: "And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. I'm going to gather them and they're going to see my glory. Look at verse 19: "I will set a sign among them. And I will send some of those who survive to the nations, to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians, famous as archers, to Tubal, and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory to the nations." Friends, that's missions. Do you see it in Verse 19? |I'm going to send a remnant out to the ends of the Earth, and they're going to proclaim my glory. I'm going to set a sign among them. Verse 20: "'And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, as an offering to the Lord, on horses and chariots, and wagons, and mules, and camels,' says the Lord. 'They will bring them, as the Israelites bring there grain offerings to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,' says the Lord." So God, I think speaks plainly in these verses about the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the Earth. And God's going to assemble all the nations and tongues to come and see. But we learn from John 4, Jesus said to the Samarian woman, "Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father." You don't need to go anywhere geographically. We don't have to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We don't have to go anywhere physically. The coming and seeing is done by faith alone. We come to God when we see the glory of God in Christ, when we hear the Gospel. That's how we come and see. And God's going to set a sign among the nations, and that sign, a sign is like a miracle, something like that, that sign is Jesus, the life of Jesus. From His miraculous conception, the virgin conception, virgin birth, through his sinless life, through the river of miracles that he did, all of the healings, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the healing of a man born blind, the walking on water, the feeding of the 5,000, and the final capping greatest miracle all, his own bodily resurrection from the dead. I'm going to set a sign among the nations and they're going to believe, they're going to believe. And some of the survivors, the remnant, the Jews chosen by grace, they're going to be sent out. Salvation is from the Jews. So all the 12 apostles were Jews and the apostle Paul was a Jew. And they were sent out of this remnant as messengers. And they're going to be sent out to these distant lands. Look at the small sampling of those nations listed in Verse 19, Tarshish is distant Spain. Put and Lud or Lydia is Northern Africa. Tubal is North in the caucuses, like maybe the Republic of Georgia or on up into Russia. And they're described as archers, they're really good archers. They're warlike and scary, but some of them are elect. I'm thinking you're going to have martyrs that will be necessary to die, but the elect will be brought. The gospel is going to spread. And these Gentiles, what they have not heard about them, they will see. And then what they were not told, they will hear. Isaiah 52:15: They're going to hear about Christ, and they're going to begin their spiritual pilgrimage. And how are they going to come? Well, I know it says on horses and chariots, and litters, mules, and camels. I didn't say that every word was easy to interpret. I've never been on a litter. I have been on a mule. I've never been on a camel. But again, there's that physical language. But we know based on the New Testament teaching, you don't need to go anywhere. And so, this just might talk in symbolic language of the different ways that people come to Christ. They're just different stories, and we're going to hear them on testimony night, or day, or whatever in Heaven, that'll they'll be going on forever. I want to hear those stories. Tell me how you came to Christ. I want to hear those stories. Now, the ministry of the Apostle Paul, they're going to come as offerings, it says, like the Israelites used to bring grain offerings. The Apostle Paul said, "That's what my ministry is like, I'm Apostle to the Gentiles." Romans 15 and 16: With the priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel to them, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. He's like, "I'm offering the Gentiles up to God." This is a direct fulfillment of the words here. Do you not see the harmony of the Bible? This is staggering. By the way, I knew when I practiced the sermon this morning, I would be laying on you something like 196 ideas. Just go back and listen and look at it carefully. This is a river of truth, this one chapter. It's incredible. And verse 21: "'I will select some of them, [the Gentiles] to be priests and Levites' says the Lord." What does that mean? The resources for the multiplication of the harvest, the harvesting is in the harvest. The future laborers are present harvest field. And so you go and you share the gospel, and those people come to Christ, and then they multiply, and they go out to their own people. Some time ago, I was watching an incredible video called EETaow! It's one of my favorite missionary stories ever, magnificent. And it's a story about New Tribes' missionaries, Mark and Gloria Zook, who went from rural Papua New Guinea. And they led the Moke people to faith in Christ. A careful, patient explanation of redemptive history culminating in Christ, death on the cross, his resurrection. Finally, the Holy Spirit opens their eyes, they understand why the Zook's are there, and they believe in Christ. And they go crazy. And for something like an hour, they start chanting, "Etah, etah. It's true, it's true." And they realize that they're freed from their dark pagan religion, they're free from animism and fear of the spirits, and they are just celebrating their forgiveness and they're going crazy. But that wasn't the end of the story. The sequel is in some ways even more beautiful. They sent some of their own people out to the neighboring villages and some of them went across some language barriers in Papua, New Guinea to reach the next villages. "I will select some of them to be priests and Levites." That's what it says, and they're going to do that priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel. IV. True Worshipers Eternally Live (vs. 22-24) And so we finish in verse 22-24 true worshippers eternally live, but false worshippers eternally die. This is the new Heavens and the new earth. Verse 22 and 23, "'As the new heavens and the new earth that I WILL make will endure before me,' declares the LORD, 'so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.'" The New Heavens and New Earth Endure Eternally So this text says two things will endure eternally. The new universe will endure eternally, and the people of God will endure eternally. "As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure, so will your name and your seed endure forever. Now this is the universe that God in some ways has yet to make. But I believe it's related to the present universe as our bodies are related to our future resurrection bodies. I think it's a direct analogy. We will be raised from the dead. So there's continuity but difference. This universe will be raised from bondage to decay into a glorious new universe. I believe that. Others think God's going to create a whole new universe. I get that too. Either way, we're going to get a new universe. And unlike this present creation which has been groaning in bondage to decay, winding down, breaking down, constantly dying, always dying. No, those days are over. The living things will live forever and only become more robust and more glorious and more worthy of study as the display of the glory of God that they are. And in the same way, so will His people endure forever before him. Your seed and your name will remain forever, the seed of the people. And their name will remember... Will endure forever. What does that mean? Name is reputation. This is what I think. We'll be discussing one another's name. And what does that mean? What you did, your works. The ones that survive Judgment Day. Your gold, silver, costly stones, not the wood hay straw. That's gone. But we're going to celebrate your crowns and your emblems of faithful service and I'm going to find out your stories, you're going to find out mine, we're going to talk to a multitude greater from anyone could count from every tribe, language, people, and nation and their name will endure forever, and we're going to learn their stories and see how God was glorified in their lives. I could go on about this forever. This is amazing, but we're going to say, "Not to us, to our name, but to Your name be the glory," Psalm 115:1. We're going to celebrate our name as a subset of God's glory and his name. V. False Worshipers Will Die Eternally (vs. 24) Conversely, and here we end. False worshippers will die eternally. Verse 24, "They will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me. Their worm will not die. Nor will their fire be quenched and they will be loathsome to all mankind." Now Jesus, our Savior, used these very words to describe the eternity of Hell, eternal, conscious torment in Hell. That's what He taught. Mark 9:43-48, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Hell where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you sin, then cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than have two feet and be thrown into Hell, and if your eye causes you to sin, then pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown in Hell, where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched." Jesus is quoting the last verse of the Book of Isaiah. Eternal, conscious torment. That's what the Bible teaches is the future of the wicked. When it says the worm does not die, the worm gnaws on a corpse. It gnaws on the dead body and it keeps eating until there's nothing left to eat, and then the worm dies. Jesus said the worm will never die. So God sustains existence and the fire, it never goes out. Some people teach annihilation, even some good teachers in the church have been deceived in this regard. It's hard to understand, but this is what the Bible teaches. It's what Jesus taught. And it says, "They will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me." Who's they? The worshippers, the redeemed. We will be well aware of them. And why is that? Well, we know in Revelation 14, it says in verses 10-11, "He too will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath and he will be tormented with burning sulfur." Listen to this, "In the presence of His holy angels and of the lamb, and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night." The holy angels see it happening. It goes up before them, they know what's going on and the Lamb, Jesus knows about it, and it goes up before Him. It doesn't say it openly, but it does here in verse 24, They will go out and look. We will be well aware of them. And there's no grieving, none. There'll be no mourning in Heaven. But this is what's taught, because it's a display, an internal display of the justice of God. And for us, the redeemed, it's an eternal display of the mercy of God, isn't it? And forever we will realize that we were saved by grace. We were saved by mercy. It teaches us in Romans Chapter 9. You might ask, "Why does God create people who end up in Hell? Why would he do that?" Romans 9 is the answer, the chapter that answers, especially verses 22-23. It says, "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory." At least in part, they're there for our education, and we learn that we are saved by grace. And when you're in Heaven, seeing Heaven's version of Amazing Grace, you'll know exactly what you're talking about. VI. Applications Alright, applications, we've already done some. I just want to do a few before we go to the Lord's Supper. The first is flee to Christ now. I don't know if I am speaking to any who is as yet un-redeemed, but I expect that I am. This is the time, a window of opportunity for you to drink of God's mercy and grace and favor through Christ. God sent Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, to live a sinless life and die on the cross for sinners like you and me. He shed his blood that we might be forgiven that the wrath of God might be pro-pitied, might be removed from us. All you need to do is trust in Him. Repent of your sins and trust in him. Secondly, for you Christians, humble yourself before God and worship Him. I can't get enough of verses 1-2, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my foot stool. What kind of house will you build for Me?" I love that, I love to be humbled. Where will my resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things. And so they came into being... This is the one I esteem. he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles in my word." Just say, "Oh God, make me beautiful, make me holy, make me humble, let me tremble at your word. I cast myself down before you. I think you should do it daily, in your quiet time. Work humility in me, Oh God. Thirdly, despise nominal religion. It's danger for us as it was for them, the outward machinery of religion without any heart behind it. Despise it, it's dangerous, God hates it. He looks behind it and says, "Offering of a bull, it's like killing a man to me, if your heart's not in it." Fourthly, tremble at the fate of the wicked. It's hard to read the final verse of Isaiah. It's hard. It should make us cry. Paul said, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." This is the time to grieve over it, it won't be grieving in heaven, not at all. But now's the time to have sorrow and unceasing anguish, and be motivated in evangelism and missions. Fifthly, embrace missions. This is the story, this is what is happening in the world. He's going to send out messengers to people who have not heard of His fame or seeing His glory, and they will proclaim His glory, He will set a sign among the nations and they'll believe in that sign, Jesus, and have eternal life. We need to be a missions-church, we are, we need to be even more. Send more missionaries, more money, more prayer, more focus, more concern. And we need to be more passionate about evangelism here in the Triangle region as well. Let's share the Gospel. And finally, as I've said many times before, let's yearn for the New Heavens in the earth. Let's set our hearts on things above and things to come. And we get to do that now with the Lord's Supper. For me, when I go to the Lord's supper, I eat it in a kind of an eschatological or end-time perspective. I look forward to feasting with Jesus with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. I look forward to that. And so we're about to partake of this, and as we do, we get to... We get to look upward to God and see his greatness, we get to look inward and see our sinfulness and confess it, we get to look back to Jesus who died on the cross for us. We get to look around to brothers and sisters in Christ who are partaking with us. And we get to look ahead to the second coming and the new heavens, and new earth, and feasting. Now, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and you've testified to that by water baptism, you're welcome to come. If not, we ask that you refrain, and we hope that you'll partake next time. Having come to faith in Christ, we would love to have you. But I like to ask the Deacons to come now, I'm going to close the sermon in prayer and we'll partake in the Lord's Supper. Father, thank you for what we've learned through the journey of 66 chapters in Isaiah. It's been overwhelming and amazing and as we have one more chance next week to look at it, give us grace to take in the message. As we turn now to the Lord's Supper, we pray that you would send forth your sovereign Spirit to make this not a bare memorial, not an empty ritual, but something in a genuine experience of God's grace through Christ and His sacrifice in his name, we pray, Amen.

Our Scripture verse on preaching is Exodus 4:10-12 which reads: "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." Our quote on preaching today is from Richard Wurmbrand. He said, "It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted [the communists'] terms. It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy." Our first topic is titled "The Call to the Ministry, Part 4" from "Lectures to My Students" by Charles H. Spurgeon. He writes: When I think upon the all but infinite mischief which may result from a mistake as in our vocation for the Christian pastorate, I feel overwhelmed with fear lest any of us should be slack in examining our credentials; and I had rather that we stood too much in doubt, and examined too frequently, than that we should become cumberers of the ground. There are not lacking many exact methods by which a man may test his call to the ministry if he earnestly desires to do so. It is imperative upon him not to enter the ministry until he has made solemn quest and trial of himself as to this point. His own personal salvation being secure, he must investigate as to the further matter of this call to office; the first is vital to himself as a Christian, the second equally vital to him as a pastor. As well be a professor without conversion, as a pastor without calling. In both cases there is a name and nothing more. ... Our second topic is titled "The Qualifications of the Preacher, Part 17" from "The Preacher and his Preaching" by Alfred P. Gibbs. This section is titled: HE MUST BE FIT FOR THE WORK (PART 2) The preacher must seek, by all the means in his power, to develop this gift. It is not enough for a Christian to possess this gift of public utterance; he must also develop it. (a) This gift should first be earnestly coveted. The believer is exhorted to “covet earnestly the best gifts." He is told to, “follow after charity [love], and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." “Prophesy” here has the force of forth-telling, and not of fore-telling. It refers to the ability to set forth the Word of God to the edification of the hearer. A prophet, in this sense, is one who is able to communicate the mind of the Lord to others. Once again Paul enjoins the believer and says, “Wherefore brethren, covet to prophesy." From these Scriptures it is clear that the preacher must, first of all, have a deep and holy desire to be a mouthpiece for the Lord. This desire, implanted by the Lord in the believer, must then be allowed to develop unhindered in the atmosphere of prayer, Bible study, godly living, and active participation in the Lord’s work. ... Our third topic is titled "Tools of the Trade, Part 1" from "Biblical Preaching" by Haddon W. Robinson. He writes: It is difficult to think. It is more difficult to think about thinking. It is most difficult to talk about thinking about thinking. Yet that stands as the basic task of homiletics. Homileticians observe how preachers work and attempt to get inside their heads to discover what goes on there as they prepare to preach. Then they must describe the process clearly enough to make sense to a student. The assignment borders on the impossible. Whom should homileticians study? Certainly not every preacher. There are duffers in the pulpit as well as on the golf course. To discover how to do something well, we usually study those who are effective in what they do. Yet well-known pulpiteers who write “how I do it” books reveal as many variations in procedure as there are authors. More baffling perhaps are the non-methods supposedly used by some effective preachers. These ministers who “speak from a full heart” or “share” sometimes insist that while they have abandoned the rules, their sermons still hit the target. Such preaching has to be reckoned with. As professional skills go, sermon construction ranks among the most inexact when compared, say, with cooking spaghetti, removing an appendix, or flying an airplane. ...

Our Scripture verse on preaching is Exodus 4:10-12 which reads: "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." Our quote on preaching today is from Billy Sunday. He said, "Whenever a day comes when I can stand and preach God's Word without an agony of anxiety lest the people will not accept Christ; whenever a day comes when I can see men and women coming down the aisles without joy in my heart, I'll quit preaching." In this podcast, we are using as our texts, the following three books: "Lectures to My Students" by Charles H. Spurgeon; "The Preacher and his Preaching" by Alfred P. Gibbs; and "Biblical Preaching" by Haddon W. Robinson.  Our first topic is titled "The Minister's Self-Watch, Part 3" from "Lectures to My Students" by Charles H. Spurgeon. He writes: For the herald of the gospel to be spiritually out of order in his own proper person is, both to himself and to his work, a most serious calamity; and yet, my brethren, how easily is such an evil produced, and with what watchfulness must it be guarded against! As I was traveling one day by train from Perth to Edinburgh, we suddenly came to a dead stop, because a very small screw in one of the engines had been broken, and when we started again we were obliged to crawl along with one piston-rod at work instead of two. Only a small screw was gone, if that had been right, the train would have rushed along its iron road, but the absence of that insignificant piece of iron disarranged the whole. A train is said to have been stopped on one of the United States' railways by flies in the grease-boxes of the carriage wheels. The analogy is perfect; a man in all other respects fitted to be useful, may by some small defect be exceedingly hindered, or even rendered utterly useless. Such a result is all the more grievous, because it is associated with the gospel, which in the highest sense is adapted to effect the grandest results.  ... Our second topic is titled "The Qualifications of the Preacher, Part 3" from "The Preacher and his Preaching" by Alfred P. Gibbs.  This section is titled: THE PREACHER MUST BE REGENERATED, Part 2 Christ likened the Jewish leaders of His day to "blind leaders of the blind." We read in Psalm 50:16, "To the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth?" Peter refers to the false prophets of his day as "wells without water." These appear inviting to the weary and parched traveler, but provide nothing with which to slake his thirst. God declares that, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." From conversations with returned Christian soldiers, it appears that saved and evangelistic chaplains were the exception, rather than the rule. ... Our third topic is titled "The Case for Preaching" from "Biblical Preaching" by Haddon W. Robinson. He writes: Those in the pulpit face the pressing temptation to deliver some message other than that of the Scriptures -- a political system (either right-wing or left-wing), a theory of economics, a new religious philosophy, old religious slogans, or a trend in psychology. Ministers can proclaim anything in a stained-glass voice at 11:30 on Sunday morning following the singing of hymns. Yet when they fail to preach the Scriptures, they abandon their authority. No longer do they confront their hearers with a word from God. That is why most modern preaching evokes little more than a wide yawn. God is not in it.  ...

Our Scripture verse on preaching is Exodus 4:10-12 which reads: "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." Our quote on preaching today is from Richard Baxter. He said, "I preached as though I wasn't sure I would preach again, and as a dying man to dying men." Our first topic is titled "The Minister's Self-Watch, Part 2" from "Lectures to My Students" by Charles H. Spurgeon. He writes: We are, in a certain sense, our own tools, and therefore must keep ourselves in order. If I want to preach the gospel, I can only use my own voice; therefore I must train my vocal powers. I can only think with my own brains, and feel with my own heart, and therefore I must educate my intellectual and emotional faculties. I can only weep and agonize for souls in my own renewed nature, therefore must I watchfully maintain the tenderness which was in Christ Jesus. ... Our second topic is titled "The Qualifications of the Preacher, Part 2" from "The Preacher and his Preaching" by Alfred P. Gibbs. He writes: To many, the statement that a preacher should be born from above may seem self-evident. The fact remains, however, that there are literally hundreds of preachers who have never experienced the regenerating power of the Spirit of God. They know nothing of what it means to be saved by the grace of God through personal faith in Christ.  ... Our third topic is titled "The Case for Preaching" from "Biblical Preaching" by Haddon W. Robinson. He writes: In spite of the "bad-mouthing" of preaching and preachers, no one who takes the Bible seriously should count preaching out. To the New Testament writers, preaching stood as the event through which God works. Peter, for example, reminded his readers that they had "been born anew, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." How had this word come to affect their lives? "That word," Peter explained, "is the good news which was preached to you." Through preaching God had redeemed them. ...

Radical Forgiveness. Godly Love; Changes hearts. Changes situations. Changes our responses. Changes the future. Changes lives. How has God's love changed you? Amazing Grace; God's love is wrapped with grace. Look how God's love and grace go hand in hand. 1 John 4:19. God's love for his fellow brother brought him to a point of being willing to pay the penalty. Jesus' love for us did pay our penalty. His grace allows us to accept this amazing gift of life. Radical Forgiveness; No Strings. No Barriers. No Guilt. No Fear. No Worry. No Hell, (For those who put their faith in Jesus Christ). No Greater Love. No other way but by Christ. Refreshing Freedom; How you think Onesimmus felt being accepted? Being received as a brother in Christ? No longer shackled to past sins? Now having peace in the Lord? Now having a future that was refreshing? The chains are broker, you have been set free. Be refreshed today in Christ. Phile 1:20, 1 John 4:19, John 14:6, Eph 2:8-9

I. Peace: The Mountain of the Lord’s Temple Exalted (verses 1-5) Since the beginning of the church, Christians have speculated about the end times, about the end of the world. Right after the resurrection of Christ, Jesus' apostles thought it was going to happen then. And so in Acts 1:6 they said, "Lord, are You at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" That's the Jewish version of, “Is the end of the world at hand?” They wanted that kingdom to come. Jesus, as you remember, said, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority" (Acts 1:7). Is this the end of the world? That's the question generation after generation have asked. And frequently, the question has been linked to current events, to things that have been happening on the world scene. Perhaps that was no more true than in the year 410, on August 24th, when the walls, the defenses of Rome were breached and Rome fell to a pagan power. It was an earth-shaking moment in history when the Visigoths under Alaric swept through the streets of Rome. They actually treated the city relatively gently, but it was just a shocking moment. Rome, the eternal city had fallen. And in a cave where he was fasting and praying and writing near Bethlehem, Saint Jerome, when he heard about it, began to weep. And he said, "The world is rushing to ruin. The glorious city, the capital of the Roman empire, has been swallowed up in one conflagration." He thought the end of the world was imminent. But across the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa, in a place called Hippo, there was a different man, Augustine. We know him as Saint Augustine, the great bishop of Hippo in North Africa. He took an entirely different view of the fall of Rome. After Rome fell, he finished his masterpiece called The City of God. It was a defense for Christianity against paganism. The pagan Romans thought that Rome had fallen because of the influence of Christianity, that their military strength had abated, had weakened because of Christianity. So he defends Christianity against paganism. But even more than that, he defends the view of history that comes from the Bible, that we are not stuck to current events. We are not linked to any human city. There are in effect in history two cities. There is the city of God and there is the city of man. And the two of them are competing on infinitely unequal terms. We are not dualists. We don't believe that good and evil battle on equal terms. But they are battling it out for the central place in human hearts and affections. At the core of the city of man is one driving spirit, and that is love of self, extending to contempt of God. That is the nature of the city of man, love of self that quenches any concern for the glory of God. The city of God has exactly the opposite spirit, love of God that extends to contempt of self. And those two are battling it out all the time on the stage of human history. So the story of human history is this, what some have said is a tale of two cities. It is the city of God and the city of man. And here in Isaiah 2 we have it in this kind of language, in competing high places. We have the high place of the Lord's temple established in the first five verses, and then we have all these other human high places, these lofty towers and these high walls. And the two are in direct competition. You have the city of God and you have the city of man and they are competing for your affection and for mine. It is God versus the world, and that is what is going on in Isaiah 2. And it begins with the vision of peace in verses one through five, “The mountain of the Lord's temple” exalted. It starts in verse two with this expression, "In the last days." "In the last days," it says, "these glorious things are going to come." So this is a constant fascination we have, as I mentioned, with the end of the world. I will not ask how many of you have read any of the Left Behind series. I don't want to know, okay? But I know this, that 65 million copies have been printed in that series. I know they have a website, leftbehind.com. I'm not mentioning it that you should go there. I am just saying that they have one. I’m just saying that their books and movies and even a computer game, the Left Behind computer game if you can believe that, are sold at Walmart and you can get them. Behind the intense interest in and success of that series is this question: “Are we living in the last days? Are these the end times?” Well the Bible's answer to that question is absolutely clear and unequivocal. Yes, we are most certainly living in the last times. We are even living in the last hour. 1 John 2:18 says this, "Dear children, this is the last hour." Of course, that was written in the first century AD. It has been the last hour all of this time. Hebrews 1:2 says "In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son." We are in the last days. Are we the final generation? Now, that's a different question. And Jesus already told us that it is not for us to know the times or dates. He has given us instead a way by which, by what we call the signs of the times, by which we can measure progress toward the end of the world. One of the greatest is in Matthew 24:14. "This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." So we are watching the progress of the gospel and linking it to the end of the world. Now Isaiah gives us a different sign, and that is the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord and the streaming of the nations. Look what it says in verse two, "In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it." So it begins this vision with the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord's temple. The Exaltation of the Mountain of the Lord Now mountains are frequently associated with religions and paganism. You have Mount Olympus and Zeus and all the pantheon of gods up there in Greece. There is Mount Meru in Hinduism, the spiritual origin, so they believe, of all the Hindu deities and their ultimate destination. You have Chomolungma (that's Mount Everest), the goddess mother of the world. In that tribal religion they believe that all the deities came from there. Who could say until 1953? No one got to the top. And so there it is. There are these incredible mountains. And people imagine the deities are up at the top of them. But this is not any of that. This is no pagan mountain. This is “the mountain of the Lord's temple.” That is what it says. And this is not Mount Sinai where Moses received from God the ten commandments, the old covenant. Actually, you have to go further back in Jewish history, to Genesis 22 when the Lord tested Abraham and said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." And he goes to Mount Moriah and is just about to offer Isaac up when the angel of the Lord stops him. But do you remember what Abraham says in Genesis 22? Remember how Isaac had said, "The fire and wood are here… but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?". And Abraham replies, "God himself will provide the lamb." And so there was this saying, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided" (verse 14). If you advance in redemptive history, you have David, of course, taking the Jebusite city, Jerusalem. It was up on a mountain. It was called Mount Zion, the elevated place. It was difficult to get to and easy to defend, but David conquered it. So it became the city of David, the fortress of Zion, and there David wanted to build a temple. Nathan the prophet revealed it would not be David who would build the temple but it would be his son who would build the temple. Now I tell you the Scripture is infinitely deep. What son was Nathan referring to? Was it Solomon or was it Christ? My answer is both. Solomon built the physical temple, and he built it right there on Mount Moriah, the very same mountain, as it says in Chronicles. So on the mountain of the Lord it was provided, for that's where Jesus died. That is where He shed His blood - in space and time on that very mountain. It really happened. It was physical. It was a place. But we learn from Scripture that the tabernacle and the temple were just dim reflections, just shadows of a reality that is up in heaven. A heavenly reality, a place where God will dwell with man, where man will be forgiven of his sins, and where we will dwell in close fellowship, close partnership. And anything earthly, anything physical, is just a dim reflection of it. So when Jesus shed His blood on the cross, on that physical mountain, on a physical cross, shedding physical blood, the physical curtain in the physical temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And we learn from the Book of Hebrews that a new and living way has been opened up for us spiritually into the very presence of God. As of that moment, there is no longer any need again for animal sacrifice. Animal blood is not needed. In fact, it is not welcome and never will be again. That has been fulfilled in Jesus. And so also the physical temple has been fulfilled. It was just a pattern of the heavenly one anyway. So what do I believe then? Well, I believe as it says in Hebrews 12:18, "You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire." We have not come to a physical mountain here in Isaiah 2, but rather we have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. The mountain of the Lord's temple then is the spiritual temple established by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remember how Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days" (John 2:19). He was speaking of His own body, speaking of the place where sinners would be reconciled to an Almighty God. That is the temple I think Isaiah 2 is mentioning here, and on this mountain God provided a sacrifice for sins through Christ's blood. On this mountain the Lord heard the prayer of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. And on this mountain God swallowed up death forever. This is the mountain that is established as chief. Now Jerusalem was the physical starting place for the spread of the gospel. It started in Jerusalem as Luke 24:47 says, "Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem." So it started at that physical mountain, Mount Zion, in Jerusalem. But from that physical place, the word of the Lord would spread to the ends of the earth. Look at Verse 3. "The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." And in this way the mountain of the Lord's temple is established as chief among all the spiritual high places of the earth. It is the place of Jesus. It is the place where He shed His blood. It is the place of the cross. It is the place of free access to almighty God where we can see Him face to face, where we can be in His very presence. That is what is established as chief among all mountains in the world. The Amazing Streaming of the Nations… Uphill! So what do we have as a result of the establishment of this place, this high place of the Lord's glory, of Jesus' finished work on the cross? We have the streaming of the nations in a manner entirely contrary to nature. Look what it says, "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains. It will be raised above the hills and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.'" So here is this river streaming up hill. It is running contrary to nature. Do you know what the Continental Divide is? The Continental Divide is a mountain ridge where the water on one side flows to the Atlantic and on the other side flows to the Gulf of Mexico, or to the Pacific if it is the Pacific Divide. Water just doesn't flow uphill friends. Water has never flowed from the Pacific up to the Continental Divide. It just doesn't work that way. So this is a streaming of the nations contrary to nature. It is surprising. It's shocking. It is something only God can do. Why in the world would the nations all be looking to Jerusalem? It really isn't that impressive a city. Why would all nations all over the world be caring about what happened in that small place at that time, 2000 years ago? It is because of the greatness of Christ, the greatness of the gospel. Contrary to nature, the nations are streaming to Jerusalem. Not physically. We are not on a pilgrimage like the Muslims go to Mecca. We don't need to get up and go. You can go there if you like. Some of our number have gone. We love seeing the pictures, and I'd love to go myself. But if I die never having seen physical Jerusalem I'm alright. But I want to see the heavenly Jerusalem! I want to be there because that is the true place, and that is where I'm streaming to in my heart. That's where I'm on route to. Jesus said, “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2,3).That's the streaming that's going on. I want to be with God. That's the streaming that's happening here. And so, the mountain of the Lord's temple is established. Now I know there is a millennial view that says Jesus will reign for a thousand years physically on Earth from Jerusalem. He will establish His throne there. He will settle disputes. People will go and see Him physically. I think that may be. Personally, I am millennial in my theology. I understand that some people focus on this passage as a view of the millennial kingdom. But I think it is so much more glorious to think of a kingdom that will never end. Not one that lasts only a thousand years, but one that lasts for ever and ever. And forever we will be looking for the law coming from Christ's mouth. Amen. And so I think even the millennialists will say, "We look forward to aspects of that going on throughout eternity." Missions: Come, and Say, “Come!” And notice what it says here in verse three, "Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.'" This in my mind speaks of the exponential spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The very ones who are coming are saying come to those who aren't yet coming. They are on route, they are traveling, they're on a journey, they're moving on. And they are finding those who aren't moving or who are going in the wrong direction. They are dead in their transgressions and sins, and they invite them to come. And so this is the spread of the gospel. We begin life, therefore, as targets for evangelism and, God willing, we end life as evangelists ourselves, reaching out with the gospel. And so it says at the very end of the Bible, in Revelations 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!’'" So we are in cooperation with the spirit of God inviting people who aren't coming yet to come. “The Spirit and the bride say ‘come!’ And let him who hears say ‘come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” And as we're coming, we are hearing the law coming from the mouth of the lawgiver, Christ Himself. Again, verse three says, "He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." The Law of the Lord: He Will Teach Us His Ways The Gospel is meant to have a transforming effect on every area of your life. How you think, how you move in this world, what you do with your money. Everything. And the law is coming from Christ. He is speaking the law to us. His laws are written in our minds and on our hearts, not external to us like laws engraved on tablets of stone. Christ's law of love comes and drives out strife between former enemies. Christ's law of holiness comes and causes us to put sin to death. Christ's law of obedience causes us to come and walk in obedience to the spiritual laws written now in our hearts. And the Gospel ministry is at the center of it, as Matthew 28:19 says, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The law streams forth from this spiritual temple, from the mouth of our lawgiver, Jesus Christ. And what is the result? Well, lasting peace, friends. Not man made, but God made. Look at verse four, a very famous verse. "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Lasting Peace: Not Man-Made, God-Made! The result of the Gospel, the result of the establishment of the glory of God through Christ, is lasting peace between people. Peace between nations - something that has not been achievable. In 5000 plus years of human history we have not been able to establish lasting peace between the nations. And we will not. Only the Lord can do this. We learned this in the 20th century, didn't we? There was World War I, the war to end all wars. 37.5 million casualties, a very high price to pay to end all wars, but worth it if you are going to do it, if you are actually going to end all wars. And at the end of that war they set up the League of Nations under Present Wilson to make sure we didn't have war anymore. Well, we know how successful that was because just a few decades later, in 1939 Hitler invaded Poland and began World War II. And the price tag for that war was 72 million killed. The greatest carnage of any war that has ever been. Right after that, of course, they established the United Nations so that we wouldn't go to war with each other anymore. We would think 72 million would be a small price to pay if we never went to war with each other again. And so the top priority of the United Nations, established on October 24, 1945, was to keep peace throughout the world. I don't know how you count a war. What distinguishes a war from just a skirmish or a border issue? But some analysts have counted over 150 armed conflicts between nations since that time. I believe that lasting peace is impossible in this world because of the wickedness of human hearts. If you don't change the heart, you're not going to change politics, you're not going to change history. The heart must change. And what does it say about the human heart in Isaiah 57:20-21? it says, "The wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’" Here’s the bottom line. Wicked people don't naturally beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. They don't. They make more swords and they get ready because they want to win. They want to dominate. I think about the image of the sword being beaten into a plowshare. I get the picture of the hammer and sickle, I don't know why. Actually, there isn't necessarily a Biblical background to this. I tried to establish that, but I do know this. In 1959 the Soviet Union donated to the United Nations a big brawn statue called, “We shall beat our swords into plowshares,” patterned after this Biblical verse that they didn't believe in. Bbut they did believe in the theme of world peace and they thought it could be established by their means. The statue is still there in the north garden of the United Nations, some big muscular guy beating his sword into a plowshare. Of course, at that point the United States and Soviet Union were in negotiations with each other, trying to establish a lasting peace between their countries in the midst of the cold war. And so they came up with the McCloy-Zorin Accords, a joint statement of agreed principles for disarmament negotiations. Their first goal - get this! - was that disarmament should be general and complete and war is no longer an instrument for settling international problems. Sounds good, especially in the middle of a cold war. Of course, within a year or two there was the Cuban missile crisis and the accords went right out the window. Actually, as I look at these principles, I think about the letter that was signed between Neville Chamberlain and Adolph Hitler after the Munich accord, which sold Czechoslovakia up the river and just about guaranteed World War II would come. Appeasement had run it's course. But Neville Chamberlain thought they had purchased “peace in our time.” Recall Chamberlain waving that letter and announcing, “We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo German naval agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.” Doesn't that sound wonderful? Don't you just cheer in Trafalgar Square that we're not going to fight the Germans after all? Of course, within a year they declared war on Nazi Germany. The reason is the human heart hasn't changed. Hitler was a wolf. He wanted the whole world. That was the whole issue. True lasting peace comes only in one way, the saving work of Jesus Christ on the wicked, selfish, angry, prideful, murderous, covetous, power hungry human heart. Only if the heart changes will war be obsolete and He is the only one that can do it. It is His unique glory. You know the hymn, 'Crown Him With Many Crowns'? Listen to this: “Crown Him the Lord of peace, whose power a scepter sways, from pole to pole, that wars may cease and all be prayer and praise. His reign shall know no end, and round His pierced feet, fair flowers of paradise extend, their fragrance ever sweet.” Isaiah 2:1-4 is a clear prediction that someday war will be obsolete. Amen? It's going to be gone. To the glory of Christ though, not to the glory of negotiating. Not to anybody who's going to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobody's going to take credit for it. It's going to be Christ's work and His work alone. But it's going to come. Now it ends with an exhortation. Isaiah gives an exhortation to his own people concerning these things. Look at verse five. "Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord." But then tragically, he spends the rest of the chapter saying how much they do not walk in the light of the Lord. And not just Israel. Israel is just a kind of test nation for all of us. We wouldn't have done any better. It doesn't matter what your tribal ancestry is. You can't imagine you would have done better, or your ancestors would have done better than the Jews. They represent us all. But he starts with the Jews and he shows very plainly that they refuse to walk in the light of the Lord. II. Shame: Full of Things, Empty of God (verses 6-9) He begins with Jacob's shame in verses six through nine. We see Jacob abandoned to idols. Look at verse eight, "Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made." He begins by lamenting the fact that Israel is abandoned by God. This abandoning, he readily admits, is justified because of Jacob's great sin. Israel has committed two great sins according to the prophet Jeremiah. He says, in Jeremiah 2:13, "My people have committed two sins. Number one, they have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and number two, they have dug for themselves their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Here are two great sins. Turning away from God, the all satisfying stream of living water and deciding to dig out your own cisterns. And drinking from your own water source. Those are two related sins. John Piper identifies this is as the shocking two-fold root of all sin, the forsaking of God and the desire to find ultimate satisfaction and pleasure from some created thing. This is what Piper writes. "Tell me then, what is evil? The definition of evil, that which appalls the universe, that causes the angels of God to say, ‘No it can't be!’ What is it? What is evil? It is looking at God, the fountain of all-satisfying, living water, and saying, ‘No thank you,’ and turning instead to the television, to sex, parties, booze, money, prestige, a house in the suburbs, a vacation, a new computer program, and saying ‘yes!’ to those things. That’s insane! And it causes all heaven to be appalled, according to Jeremiah 2:12”. That is what they were doing. They were turning away from God and turning to idols - anything made to satisfy apart from God. And so three times in the section, Isaiah says that Israel is full of something, but not of God. Full of something, but not what God provided. We were created dependent. We come into the world, our lungs are empty. They need air. Our stomachs get cyclically empty. They need food. We are dependent on God, and that physical dependency is meant to teach us something spiritually. We need to be filled with God. We need to be filled with Him. Full of Superstitions, Not of True Religion But look at what they are filled with. They are filled, first of all, with superstitions. Look at verse six. “They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans.” They were created to have minds full of true religion, based on the revelation of God. Instead, what do they do? They turn to pagan religions, mystery religions, with their secret rituals at night and their orgies and their lustful things. They turn to the secret pagan religions, superstitions, from the east. Full of Silver and Gold, Not of True Wealth Secondly, they're full of silver and gold, not of true wealth. Look at verse seven. “Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures.” Now God had specifically forbidden the kings of Israel to accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. In Deuteronomy 17:17 and following, it says, speaking of the king, “He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.” Rather, the king was to take and write for himself a copy of the book of Deuteronomy and read it every day and fill his mind with God as his treasure. That is what he was supposed to do. Well, then you get Solomon. I can sum up Solomon's life in these words: Solomon accumulated. It is in there a number of times. Solomon accumulated wives. He had lots of them. Solomon accumulated silver and gold. The trading ships came in every year, bringing 666 talents of gold. He was swimming in gold. There was so much silver, it meant nothing in those days. Well, all the kings after him, though not achieving that level of glory and wealth, yearned for it. They wanted silver and gold. This is idolatry. It's greed, materialism, a lust for wealth and the pleasure of possession, of ownership. Full of Horses and Chariots, Not of True Power Also, they are full of horses and chariots, not of true power. Look at verse seven. “Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots.” Just as bad was the Jewish accumulation of military power. Again, from Deuteronomy 17:16, “The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them.” But in 1 Kings 10:26, it says, “Solomon accumulated” [there's that word again]. “Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses.” What is the problem here? Well, God did not want the Jews relying on their military strength for their protection and their defense. He wanted Gideon to strip his army down to 300 so that God would get the glory for the deliverance. Later, in Isaiah, we'll see King Ahaz turning to Assyria instead of to God for protection. He was angry with David for numbering the fighting men in Israel. He did not want their hearts trusting in their own military prowess for their security. This is a great temptation in our day as well. A terrible temptation. In 2006, 1.1 trillion dollars were spent by the nations of the world on military things. By world governments, 1.1 trillion dollars. The United States spent 48% of that. As a matter of fact, if you add up the military spending by nations number two through eleven, we exceed that. Nation number two plus three plus four plus five. We exceed the next ten nations in military spending. We spend close to $650 billion a year on the military. It is easy, then, for our nation to be tempted into thinking that therein lies our national security. It does not. Every military system has a chink in its armor, something that God can find. An arrow can be shot at random and fly through the air and find that chink in the armor. That is not our security, friends. It does not come from those things. National security is hearing and obeying the word of God. That's it. And you Christians, you know it, don't you? It comes in following Christ, in knowing Him, and in the prayers of the people, not in how much money we spend. We would not be a little more secure if we spent another $100 billion. It just doesn't work that way. The most powerful force in the universe is God. Isaiah 40:15 says, "Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust." The most powerful thing in the universe is God. If we are in a right relationship with Him, we need fear nothing. But if He is against us, then who could be for us? Israel had abandoned the true power and settled for military power. Psalm 33:16-21 says, "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait and hope for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name." Now that's what a secure people can say and should say in prayer. Full of Idols, Not of the Lord Finally, the land was full of idols, not of the Lord. See verses eight and nine. "Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low and mankind humbled - do not forgive them." Now as I've said, anything you look to for ultimate peace, ultimate significance, ultimate security or ultimate happiness other than the Lord is an idol. That's what it is. But the Jews went beyond that. They actually made physical representations. They actually made figurines. They made physical idols out of material stuff. It is amazing arrogance. It is one thing to trade God for some heart idol. It is another thing to think of God in your mind and make up a physical manifestation of your god and then bow down and worship it. And that is what the Jews were doing. I believe in the end all idolatry is really a form of self-worship. The artisan makes his image of God out of his own skill, out of his own ability, and then he honors and worships it. Listen to Isaiah 44:13. "The carpenter measures with the line and makes an outline with a marker. He roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man, of man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine." What is he then worshipping when he bows down? He's worshipping himself! It's human arrogance, idolatry. And notice, by the way, the land is full of idols. One isn't enough. You are not going to have just one idol. Once you have one, you're going to have many. The more the better. I've been to India. I've seen idols everywhere. I've been to other countries. In Japan on every street corner there was an idol. They were everywhere. You are not going to just have one. But the Jews were like this, Jeremiah 2:28 says, "You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah." III. Terror: Lofty things Humbled (verses 10-21) The Day of the Lord Proclaimed For all of these reasons God had abandoned His people to judgment. That judgment Isaiah now seeks to describe in verses 12-21. Terror. The loftiness of created things humbled. The day of the Lord is proclaimed in verse 12. Look at it: "The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted, and they will be humbled." Simply put, the Lord has a day. It is coming. It's called The Day of the Lord. It's coming. There have been a lot of little days of the Lord that have given a picture of it, like Noah's flood and Sodom and Gomorrah. There have been pictures, but they are not the final thing. The Day of the Lord is coming. The Lord has a day in store. Now is the day of rebellion. Now is the day of sin. Now is the day of arrogance. Now is the day of man. Then is the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord Described: Lofty Things Humbled And the Day of the Lord is described basically like this: lofty things will be humbled and brought down. That's it. The purpose of the Day of the Lord is justice. For anything in God's universe to compete with Him is abhorrent. It is the greatest injustice. So He is going to bring justice. He is going to level the idols. Now pride is the root of all of this. It is the root of Satan's sin. There is a sense of lofty elevation. Satan, not satisfied with his position, wanted upward mobility. He wanted to go up in the universe. So it says in Isaiah 14, "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'" “I'm going up to where God is.” Well that sense of elevation and loftiness is of majesty where God dwells. Isaiah 6:1, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted. And the train of His robe filled the temple." It's the greatness, the elevation of God. Satan wants to compete, so he goes up. We joined him in that rebellion. We actually decided to go upward. We decided to elevate ourselves, to become prideful and to go up, to follow Satan. We joined Satan in that upwardly mobile pride. And so here in Isaiah 2, he says "All of that is coming down." Look what it says in verses 12-17: "The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, for every trading ship and every stately vessel. The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled." He uses natural lofty things like cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan and towering mountains and high hills. He uses man-made lofty things like lofty towers and fortified walls representing military pride, trading ships that represents commerce, stately pleasure vehicles representing pleasure. All of these are human idols. They are all lofty in their own estimation. They are coming down on the Day of the Lord. All lofty things set up against the knowledge of God, all of His rivals are coming down in the Day of the Lord. Now post 9/11, we as Christians should not be shocked at how quickly something lofty and high can come down. How quickly it can happen. I will never forget it as long as I live. The Twin Towers, how quickly they came down. It was a shock to me. The whole thing was a shock to me. Not because my theology was shaken by it as though somehow my theology were tied to the Twin Towers in New York. It wasn't. But just that it could come down that quickly. Were you not shocked by that? But we read about the future fall of all of the city of man. Babylon has fallen. “O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!" (Revelation 18:10). The Lord Alone Exalted It's all coming down. And why? So that the Lord alone can be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11 says, "The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day." Isaiah 2:17 and 18 say, "The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, and the idols will totally disappear." The Result: Fleeing in Sheer Terror What is the result of the Lord's humbling? What is the result of the Day of the Lord? Sheer terror, fleeing in sheer terror. Look at verse 10. "Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty!" And again, verses 19-21, "Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground, from dread of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. In that day, men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord in the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth." Note the dual effect, an abandoning of the idols and the fleeing for terror away from God's presence. The idols are revealed to be worthless. They are nothing, so they are thrown away to the rodents and bats. People then try to hide from the Lord and from the splendor of His coming and His majesty. This is picked up in the Book of Revelation. After the sixth seal is open, the sky turns black and the stars fall from the sky and every mountain and island is moved from its place. And this is what is says then in Revelation 6:15-17, "Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'" That is the day that's coming, friends. It is coming, as sure as any of these words here are true. The Day of the Lord is coming and everything exalted against Him will be leveled and brought down. And hiding? There is no sense in hiding. There is no way to hide. Jeremiah 23:23,24, "'Am I only a God nearby,' declares the Lord, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” The Lord alone will be exalted in that day and all human arrogance will be brought low. IV. Invitation: Stop and Come (verses 22, 5) Stop Trusting in Man So what is the application? What is the invitation? Well, two words: stop and come. Those are the two words in the text. Look at the very last verse, verse 22. "Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Stop trusting in man. Stop trusting first and foremost in your own righteousness. Stop trusting in yourself, your own religious works, your own good things, that you're basically a good person. Stop looking to yourself to save yourself. You cannot. You cannot survive that day. So stop trusting in man who has but a breath in his nostrils, and don't look to other people. Don't build your life on them, a spouse, or children. Don't rely on the military to keep you safe from terrorism. Stop trusting in man who has but a breath in his nostrils. I believe military strength and power is needed, but behind it, as scripture clearly indicates, is the power of God. And if God's power is against you, you lose. So stop trusting in man. Don't trust in yourself. Not you, not I, none of us can survive Judgment Day without Christ. So stop trusting in man. Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord There is a hiding place. There is a place to hide and that refuge is Christ. Flee to Christ. That's the “come” part. Come to Christ. Come and trust in Him. Look to Him, to His shed blood on the cross. Look to Him and continue to look to Him. "Come, oh, house of Jacob," verse five, "Let us walk in the light of the Lord.." There is no greater, more beautiful light than the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Come to Christ and trust in Him. Now, I know I'm preaching to people who, for the most part, have come to Christ. So you are already coming. You're not there yet. You've come to Christ. You've been justified, you've trusted in Him, and that's all happened. Your sins are forgiven. You've been adopted into the family of God. But are you done with your journey? Are you there yet? No! So keep on coming. Sanctification is that internal journey. Keep on making progress. Keep following the law of the Lord by the spirit of God. Come and Say “Come!” And as you're coming, you know what you ought to do? You ought to say, "Come" to some people. You ought to invite some people. I don't mean just to church. Do that, and you can pray for me that I will be faithful to preach the gospel. But I think you don't need to have them come to church. I had the privilege of sharing the gospel this week with a young man, a Brazilian hand surgeon. I was in awe of what he could do. And we were talking and it was a tremendous connection to the gospel. He came from Brazil, from a Roman Catholic background. He knew very little of the gospel, just some basic rudimentary facts. Forty-five minutes, he couldn't escape, what could you do? I mean, sitting next to me, there's nowhere to go, all right? So forty-five minutes of listening to me. But I try not to force anything. We had a fantastic conversation. It brought him to the point where he realized his righteousness could not survive Judgment Day, where he needed Christ. He wasn't ready to make that commitment yet. His name is John. I pray for him. George Whitefield said, "God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them." Do you travel a quarter of an hour with people without ever saying anything? Do you ever say, "Come, come to Christ!"? That's our job. It's our privilege! Our two infinite journeys, that we would be journeying, be in route, and then get people started on their journey as well. Invite them to come. One final thing. One of the great dangers of Isaiah as we read it is this. Because it was so long ago, and a different culture, we are inclined to think it's sin out there. And I hate that. It isn't sin out there, friends. Pride is what this chapter's all about. I have come to realize it is my greatest sin struggle in life. There is no greater. It hurts my marriage. It hurts my relationship with people. It hurts me as a pastor. It makes it hard for people to give me helpful criticism. It makes it hard for me to let others go first, to deny myself and serve. Pride, pride, pride, pride, pride. It's my problem And it's yours too. I don't say this because I know specific things about you. It's just because I know the human race and I've seen it. Pride is your biggest problem. So don't read through Isaiah 2 and say "those lofty towers out there." Humble yourself. Find pockets of pride in your own life. Tear down those towers yourself, so the Lord doesn't have to tear them down. Because if you are a child of God, He will delight to keep you humble and simple. And if you're building up a tower like the tower of Babel, He wil tear it down. So you ought to humble yourself. And if you do, if you humble yourself and give Jesus the credit for all things, then He will raise you up. Close with me in prayer.