Wednesday, March 07, 2018

"Sins of the Church" Sermon: Isaiah 1:10-20



“Sins of the Church”
[Isaiah 1:10-20]
March 4, 2018, Second Reformed Church
            We may remember that Isaiah preaches 700 to 800 years before Jesus during the reign of the kings:  Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.  He preaches primarily to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and the collection of his preaching begins with God’s condemnation of three groups.
            Last week we looked at the first of these groups:  the nation.  God tells the nation that He chooses them and adopts them, but they choose to rebel against Him.  So God calls them to repentance, but they see their prosperity as a reason to continue in their sin, and God promises to send the Chaldeans – the Babylonians – to slaughter them and bring them into captivity for their discipline.  However, God is always faithful to His promises, so He saves a remnant that the Savior would be born of the line of David.
            This morning, we see God condemns the sins of the Church – the sins occurring in worship in the Temple in Jerusalem.
            We see, first, God does not delight in worship without heart belief.
“Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! ‘What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.’
At the end of our Scripture last week, we are told that if God did not save a remnant, Judah would be like Sodom and Gomorrah – a sulfer-stenched fiery pit of smoke.  Here, God tells Judah that though He is not going to utterly destroy them as He did Sodom and Gomorrah, it is not because Judah is better than Sodom and Gomorrah – in fact, their hearts are just as dead as the hearts of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
So, they are told to hear the Word of the Lord – to hear the teachings of God.  “Don’t shut your ears to what God has plainly said.  Don’t shut your ears to the right interpretation of the Scripture.  Don’t ignore the fullness of what the Word of God calls you to do and be and believe.”
And then God condemns their worship specifically:  God is sick of all their sacrifices.  God is fed up with the burnt offerings and fat offerings.  God is not filled with delight over the blood of goats and bulls and lambs.
And if we think about this for a moment, we might be puzzled.  Isn’t God the One Who in Leviticus and elsewhere, ordains and commands the sacrifices and the offerings – especially the offerings of the blood of goats and bulls and lambs.  Aren’t we told that sin is not forgiven without blood?
Hear the Word of God:
“And Samuel said, ‘Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams’” (I Samuel 15:22, ESV).
“What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me” (Jeremiah 6:20, ESV).
“For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you’” (Jeremiah 7:22-23, ESV).
Do we understand what is going on?
The worshippers were going to the Temple and offering up the sacrifices, just as God has commanded them in His Word.  They were doing everything they were supposed to do in worship, but God was rejecting it.  Why?
The author of Hebrews clearly gives the answer:  “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV).
If we come to worship and do everything that God commands – if we go through all the motions of the worship service – but do not have faith – but do not have heart belief – it is nothing – it is unacceptable – it is an abomination to God.
Many of the people coming to worship were doing everything right, but did not believe in God and His Word Alone, so God rejected their worship.
It would be like someone coming to worship here this morning, being all nice and friendly, singing the songs, reading the prayers, listening to Word of God and the sermon, putting money in the plate, receiving the sacrament, and thinking all is well.  But, if you asked him if he believes in salvation in Jesus Alone, he says “no.”  There is no faith.  There is no heart belief.
It is like if it is your anniversary, and your spouse comes home and says, “Here are some flowers and candy.  Let’s be physical, so I can fulfill my duty, so I can go out with my friends.”  Would you be pleased with that?  Would you be satisfied with that?  Or would you fly into a range and throw the flowers and candy and kick your spouse out until he or she got a clue and apologized?
God is telling Judah, “You’re going through all the right motions, but you don’t believe in Me, you don’t love Me, your have not received Me by faith.  So, I reject you and your worship.”
God does not delight in worship without heart belief.
Second, God does not accept our worship if we are unrepentant.
            “’When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.’
            God continues to speak and condemns a second sin in worship.
            God begins by condemning the sin of adding to what God has required in worship.  God told Israel and Judah how He is to be worshipped, but Israel and Judah thought they had better ideas – that they could improve upon what God has commanded.  So, they trample the courts – they add to the requirements of worship.  They bring offerings and incense that God has not sanctioned.  They change the new moon and Sabbath and convocation days to make them their own.  And God tells them that they are an abomination, they are hated, they are a burden, God can’t endure them, and God is weary of having this go on.  This is sin.
            In the Reformed tradition, we hold to what is called the Regulative Principle.  What this means is that we are to only do those things that God has commanded in worship, and we are not to add things that God has not commanded.  We are to worship the way God has commanded us to worship.
            Two additions to worship that have become quite popular in our part of the world are liturgical dance and clown ministry.
            I attended a worship service during which the pastor started dancing around with streamers as part of the “sermon.”  Neither you nor God would want to see me do that.
            I have only heard about clown ministry where clowns bring the elements of the Lord’s Supper around to the parishioners in an attempt to “lift their spirits.”  The sacrament is not a joke, and it is not to be treated as one.
            God continues by telling them that when they lift their hands in prayer – which is a biblical posture – God will not listen, because they hands are filled with blood.
            What does that mean?
            Some commentators suggest that their hands being filled with blood is symbolic of their being unrepentant of their sin, both in and during worship.  Others say that this actually means that murderers were coming to worship – unrepentant of their crimes – their sins – expecting God to hear their prayers – but He will not.
            In either event, we should not expect that God will hear us or bless our prayers if we are unrepentant.  Understand, we are to be progressing in holiness – and sinning less – but we will not be holy until Jesus returns – which is not an excuse not to strive for holiness, but it is a reality that we must embrace so we can come before God and repent and receive forgiveness, no matter how often we must come.  If we repent of our sins, God will hear us.
            So God gives these commands:
            First, “wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good;”
            God commands that  they – and we – repent of our sins and wash ourselves clean that we would be right with God, take the evil deeds away and do not do them again, and, instead, do the good works that are the fruit of true faith – that prove that true heart belief has occurred.
            What’s the problem?
            If the people God is addressing are unbelievers – not merely believers who are sinning in worship, but actual unbelievers, it is impossible for them to repent and wash themselves, and they will never have any intention of doing so of their own accord.  God commands a thorough reformation of the heart and that is not something an unbeliever can do.
            Let us remember:
“as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Roman 3:10-11, ESV).
            Second, “seek justice,”
            God commands that they – and we – live lives of right judgment in every aspect of our lives.  We are to use our minds to discern what the right way to be and act is.
            Third, “correct oppression;”
            God commands that they – and we – both do everything we can to stop oppression and to keep it from ever happening.  We are all the same under God and in Christ.
Forth, “bring justice to the fatherless,”
God says, “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:22-24, ESV).
God has a special care for the weakest of society – the orphan and the widow in that culture – and God’s people are to be of the same mind.  In a culture where the man was the landowner and the one who earned a living, to not have a father or a husband could be disastrous.  So, God tells them that they are to especially look out for those who are in the most precarious place in society – making sure that they do not get lost and forgotten.
The place of the orphan and the widow is not exactly the same in our culture, since women work and own land, but the principle to care for the most likely to suffer still stands for us.  Whether man, woman, or child, those who are in danger because they cannot provide for themselves and protect themselves are the ones that must be cared for.
And so, fifth, “plead the widow's cause.”
God does not accept our worship if we are unrepentant.
Third, God is able to cleanse our sin.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If  you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
“Come now.” 
God calls Judah to the table to make a decision.  Sin and unrepentance are not rational options.   God tells them to reason through what He is saying.  Their sins in worship and unrepentant stand before God has left them stained scarlet – stained red like crimson.  But God is able to cause that scarlet stain to become as white as snow.  He is able to cause that crimson red stain to become like wool.  God is able to take their sin away from them – to pay for it through the life, death, and resurrection of the Savior – that they would no longer be under the Wrath of God for their sins.
This is true today, as we read: 
“[John] said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:14, ESV).
And someone might think, “I would like to be cleansed of my sins.   But you just explained that ‘no one seeks after good’ – it is impossible for me to please God – to repent and be forgiven until He changes me.”
And if you want to be cleansed – washed – saved from your sins – it means that God has chosen to make you want salvation, so confess – repent of your sins, submit yourself to Jesus, our God and Savior, because you have been enabled by God as one of His chosen to believe.  You are saved.
We don’t know who God has chosen to save, but we know if anyone confesses faith and bears good fruit in his or her works, then that is a good sign to us that God has chosen this person, lived, died, and risen for this person, and this person has now been washed white as snow – as are each of us who have believed.
It is possible to be cleansed from your sins.
God puts it to Judah that if they repent and turn back to Him, if they are willing and obey Him, then they will eat of the good of the land of Judah.  This is a promise to Judah about the land they lived in – it is not a promise to twenty-first century Christians about a physical land grant that God will give us, nor of physical prosperity.
If Judah refuses, then God will send the sword to devour them – the Babylonians are coming.  Again – this is not threat of a physical war against our twenty-first century countries.  We must interpret promises and threats as to the people they are given.
There is a principle we can take from this even so:  if we repent and turn to God, if we repent and obey, then God will save us now and in the Kingdom to come.  But, if we do not, God’s Wrath will come down upon us until we have payed the full debt that we owe to God for our sin against Him.
Which shall it be?
God is able to cleanse our sin.
In this second condemnation, God explains that He is the God of His own worship.  He will not delight in rote worship or worship by those who do not truly believe in Him and the Savior He has sent.  And God will not accept our worship if we sin by worshipping however we desire, or by worshipping when we refuse to repent of our sins.
Yet, God is able to cleanse all those who call upon Him, believing in the One Savior Jesus Christ.  And He will cleanse all who do so.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for telling us how You desire to be worshipped, and we ask that the Holy Spirit will keep us from trying to be wiser that You.  We ask that those who worship in our churches in unbelief would have the Holy Spirit sent to them to make them uncomfortable with the state they are in, and we ask, as You are willing, that You would cause them to believe.  Help us to come humbly before You repenting of our sin that we might worship You rightly and fully.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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