"One God" Sermon: Isaiah 44:6-20 (manuscript)

 

“One God”

[Isaiah 44:6-20]

September 20, 2020 YouTube

            Last week we saw God comfort Israel and Judah and give them hope.  He told them that they did not have any reason to fear their discipline due to the fact of Who God is and the promises He made to them.  And, whether they died in captivity or not, they had the promise of a blessed future.  All who believe in Jesus for salvation have that promise.

            In this morning’s text, God continues His condemnation of idols and idolatry.  Before, God looked at the idols and compared them to Himself.  Now, God gives a portrait of Himself and then compares Himself to the idols.

            We begin by seeing there is One God.

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:”

God addresses His people by telling them Who He is with a variety of titles.

He is the Lord – He is YHWH – the God Who spoke to Moses in the burning bush and delivered His people from slavery in Egypt.  The God Who is personally involved with His people.

He is the King of Israel.  He is the True Ruler – the Sovereign over His people.  He is the One Who governs His people in righteousness – seeking their best in Him.

He is the Redeemer of Israel.  He is God Alone Who provides a gracious salvation for His people – for all who believe – God promised and sent the Savior to earth so salvation has been accomplished.

And He is the Lord of Hosts – the YHWH of Hosts.  He is the ruler over every created thing that has and does and will ever exist.

“I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

God speaks of His eternality – telling Israel that He existed before anything ever existed, and He will always be.  He is the utmost to the uttermost – in fact, there is no other god in all of existence – no one else who claims to be a god is a god – all the other gods are false gods – idols.  And God knows that because He is and was and is to come, and all things were created by Him.

Having said this, God continues:

“Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.”

God puts forth the challenge – is there anyone like Me?  Is there any being in all of existence that can claim to be the Being that I am or like Me?

This is, of course, a rhetorical question.  God knows there is no god like God and there cannot be since God is the Creator of everything.  In order for there to be another god even comparable to God, he would have had to exist with God from all of eternity past.

Also, God chose a people – Israel – the descendants of Abraham – to be the people through which God gave His Law and guided the prophets to inform the people of Who God is and what God will do.  Is there any god who has done anything like that?

And, as we have seen before, God asks if any idol can tell what will happen in the future.  Is there any god who can tell what will happen?  God, the True God, can and does.

God shows Who He is in the context of Israel, so there is no excuse for their idolatry – their sin.  God displays His Glory in the context of His relationship with Israel and tells them there is no excuse.

More so, we who know Jesus Christ – the Promised Savior – Who we know has come in history and we can point to and say He came at this point in history and did these things and accomplished salvation for us – so our understanding of God and His work with us and in us is far better than that of ancient Israel – we have even less of an excuse to sin

We commit idolatry when we sin – when we put anything in the place of God – when we know that God has said to do something or not to do something and we believe we have a better idea or want something that God has forbidden – we put whatever that is on God’s throne – and that is blasphemy – that is idolatry – that is sin.

We know there is One God.  We have seen so much more of His Glory.  We know so much more about Who He is and what He has done.  Let us focus on these things and be amazed – and then obey Him in faith and obedience, and we will have joy – even in suffering and captivity – and Covid – we will have joy in Him.

God says, “Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?”

God tells His people not to be afraid – not to fear – because the idols are nothing – in reality they are nothing – they are not gods – they are the sinful creations of humans.  And so, God calls on His people to witness for Him – to show Him if He is wrong and idols are really gods comparable to Him:

“And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”

God tells them that they are His witnesses to the fact that He Alone is God and there are no other gods.  God asks if they know of any other god – if they know of any other rock – any bastion of strength and security.  And God answers His question with full tongue in cheek, “I don’t know of any.”  “I have always been God and always will be God, and I have not met any other god – a real god – have you?”

Then God turns to the craftsmen of idols and the material they are made of to show how infinitely lesser they are than God – they are not gods – there is only One God.

Second, idol-makers are not ignorant of what they are doing.

It only takes a moment of thought to see that idolatry is ridiculous – that it is sin and not anything based in the reality of the world.  It only takes a moment to stop and look at what you are about to do and ask yourself if it is sin – if it is what God wants of you – and then decide whether or not to stop and take a different course.

“All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame.”

One of the rules of logic is that you cannot create something that is greater than yourself.  A cat cannot create a human, a human cannot create an angel or a god.  The best any human or any creature can do is create something equal to himself.

And the idol-maker knows this.  God says that everyone who makes an idol understands it is nothing – it is a human creation – it does not and cannot rise to the level of a higher being.  They delight in nonsense – in things that can’t do any good for anyone else.  And since the idols they make cannot see or know anything – the reality is that idol-makers are put to shame.  What they have made is not worthy of praise, but ridicule and shame.

All sin is doing something that we know in our hearts and minds is less than what God would have for us – whether it be idolatry out-right like Israel was engaging in or another form of idolatry in which we do not obey God – it is always settling for less – and God will not have it.

“Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.”

God pushes the point that the idol-makers are humans – they cannot create something that is greater than they are – and what they have created is profitable for nothing – idols cannot do or know anything.  If you gather all the idol-makers together – they will all be ashamed of what they have created – they will be terrified as they consider that there is a real God Who will not give His glory to another.

And that’s what we do when we worship an idol – when we put anything in God’s place.  When we hold onto our rabbit’s foot or any other lucky charm in the hopes that it will bring us luck – or our lucky numbers or our lucky underwear – elevating humans beyond sainthood to someone to be worshipped.

And here’s what they do – here’s a formula for making a god – an idol.  (We don’t normally worship statues – though some people do – so consider the ways that we have made other things in our lives idols – how we have imbued them with powers they do not have.)

“The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house.”

The craftsmen work with iron and wood and make them into the shape of a human being.  They decorate it and make it look like they think a god should look, and when they are finished, they are exhausted, but the god is done and it can sit on someone’s coffee table or in a church.

 The craftsmen aren’t ignorant about what they have created – it is no more a god that the planter they made for someone else.  Humans cannot create a being greater than themselves.

We know that plaster statues and the foot of a dead rabbit or the lucky stone we carry around can’t really do anything.  And if we think about it, we know we are attributing power to something that can do nothing and knows nothing.  We’re not ignorant.  When we don’t have time to read the Bible, but we do have time to read the latest Stephen King novel – we know what we have done.

Let’s not pretend that our sin is Christian liberty or to the glory of God.  We know what we are doing. Let’s take a breath and step back before we act – not trying to fool ourselves – but acting in faith and obedience to the One God.

Third, idols can’t be gods because they are made of what God created.

“He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it.”

Picture this:  A man cuts down a cedar or an oak tree in the forest and loads it up to bring back to his home or shop.  And being a good ecologist, he plants a tree to replace the one he cut down and it grows as God waters it with the rain.

And the man unloads the tree:

“Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, ‘Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!’ And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, ‘Deliver me, for you are my god!’”

The man takes the tree and cuts it up.  Half of the tree he cuts up and uses as firewood to heat his home.  Half of it he uses in his oven where he cooks a rabbit for dinner – except for the feet, which he has cut off to sell as lucky charms.  And the final half, he carves into an idol, and when he finishes making the idol, he falls down before it and worships it and asks it to deliver him from his problems.

From the same tree – a tree that God created and grew – this man made a fire to warm himself, filled his stove to cook dinner, and carved out a god – out of the same piece of wood – the same tree.  Why wasn’t the wood he threw in the fire a god?  Why wasn’t the wood he used in his stove a god?  Why was the other wood a god when the same piece of wood was also used to light two different fires?  Do you see how absurd this is?

What can the piece of wood that was made into an idol do that the wood that was used for the fires cannot do?  The material is the same.  And God made the material.  It cannot be a god.  It cannot save us.

And the government won’t save us.  Our bank account won’t save us.  The lottery won’t save us.  Your lucky penny won’t save us.  Only God, the One True God can save us.

“They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, ‘Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?’ He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, ‘Is there not a lie in my right hand?’”

God emphasizes how crazy it is to believe that a block of wood can do anything or understand anything or bring salvation to anyone.  Not only is it insane – like considered a pile of ashes to be a healthy meal – the idolater’s heart is deluded – so much so that he doesn’t even realize he has embraced a lie.

When we get so involved and persuaded by our own lies – the sins and inventions of our hearts that we put in the place of God, we cover our eyes and ears so we cannot hear or see or return to the right worship of God.  So, it may take captivity or Covid or death to break the spell of sin and get us to wake up and turn back to God in faith and obedience.

Why would we want that?  Why would we play around with things we know cannot do us any good – with things we know cannot be gods?  When God gives us His Son for salvation and we say we have believed on Him, why do we turn to the psychic hotline and horoscopes rather than the Word of God?

Elijah called the people of Israel to choose between God and their idols:

“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.’ And all the people answered, ‘It is well spoken.’ Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.’ And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention” (I Kings 18:21-29, ESV).

And then Elijah said to the people to absolutely drench his sacrifice with water, and he prayed to God, the One True God, and God sent down fire and burned up the sacrifice, and the altar, and the people believe in God, the One True God, the Only God, and Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, You continue to speak out against idolatry because You are the Only God and the sinful human heart is an idol factory.  Lord, forgive us for our sin and stir up the Holy Spirit that He would continue to grow us in faith and obedience and draw us ever closer to You as He makes us into the Image of Your Son.  Cause us to hate sin and to delight in You and Your Law.  Teach us anew each day from Your Word.  And we ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Review: "Stillness is the Key" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C52lCYmnLFA&feature=youtu.be

Review: "Stillness is the Key" (manuscript)

 

            Stillness is the Key is the third and final volume of Ryan Holliday’s trilogy, also containing, The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy.

            In this volume, Holiday continues with the same style of quotes, historical anecdotes, and pithy commentary.  The book is divided into three sections:  the mind, the spirit, and the body.  Holiday says, “the aim of this book is simply to show how to uncover and draw upon the stillness we already possess” (7).

            In finding stillness in the mind, we must focus on the now – the present – the only reality that exists – and put the past and future away from us.  We need to ask ourselves in every moment, “Is this necessary” (34), and, if not, let it go.  We need to stop overanalyzing and just do the work that needs to be done (39).  We need to seek the wisdom available to us from history (48).

            In finding stillness in the spirit, we seek virtue – moral and civic excellence in our lives (98).  We give up lust (114). We seek spiritual strength by examining each impulse and letting it pass if it is a bad one (118).  We recognize something greater than ourselves (134).

            In finding stillness in the body, we care for our body, we bring it into the forest, we give it ample rest (170), we exercise, have hobbies, commit to causes greater than ourselves (183), learn to say no (189), set a routine (199), gid rid of all the stuff we don’t need (208), and take time for solitude and literal quiet and stillness (219).

            One of the things that Holiday advises we do is to seek out the wisdom of history.  He does that in his books, and I find myself being encouraged and challenged to be a better person as I read his books.  I am changing my life according to the principles he has found – as well as others I have found – and I hope I will have lived my life well at the end.

            Read these books.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "The Unsaved Christian" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o4oMbb09sc&feature=youtu.be

Review: "The Unsaved Christian" (manuscript)

 

            Dean Inserra’s The Unsaved Christian: Reaching Cultural Christianity with the Gospel examines a truth that many church folks want to ignore:  not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is a Christian.  Churches are a mixed group – with believers and unbelievers – and that is true even if the unbelievers think they are believers.

            Inserra explains that after seminary, he felt bad that he was returning home to minister in the Bible Belt while many of his classmates were going overseas to minister.  A friend of his set him straight saying that the Bible Belt may be a more difficult mission field because the people in the churches believe they are Christians when they are not – they believe in God, but they don’t believe their sin is a problem or that they need a Savior in the biblical sense (12).

            Inserra looks at a variety of iterations of the cultural believer, where their beliefs fall short of true Christianity, barriers to their belief, and ways that one might bring the Gospel to the most effectively.  He addresses distinct problem with cultural Roman Catholics versus cultural Protestants and gives encouragement for the work of bringing the Gospel to them.

            Finally, he asks the reader if he is sure he is not a cultural Christian.

            Each chapter concludes with reflection questions, and there is a chart and the end of the book showing the various cultural Christians, there issues, and ways to approach them with the Gospel.

            What the author claims is true – I see it in the churches in my neighborhood and in my own extended family.  Christian means a good person to many people – and nothing more than that.  The book is full of anecdotes and is very readable.  The author gets a little repetitive, but one may want to just read certain chapters to address certain issues one sees.  Overall, it is a useful and revealing work.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

"Hope" Sermon: Isaiah 44:1-5 (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9dod9uuhnE&feature=youtu.be

"Hope" Sermon: Isaiah 44:1-5 (manuscript)

 

“Hope”

[Isaiah 44:1-5]

September 13, 2020 YouTube

            At the end of chapter forty-three, God explains to Israel and Judah that they are sinners and God is Holy, so they must be punished for their sin.  They cannot justify themselves – and neither can we.  But God will cause a people to be saved.  God will pay the debt to God for sin and credit His people with righteousness.  God will forgive them for His Own Sake.  We know this happens through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

            As chapter forty-four opens, God again comforts Israel and Judah.

            First, God tells Israel and Judah not to fear.

            It would be normal for them to fear.  They were going to be attacked and conquered and taken into a foreign country as captives for seventy years.  Who wouldn’t be afraid of that surety? Don’t we fear now as Covid continues to rage and no one really has any answers as to how to stop it or cure it?

            God says as we face war and disease and whatever else, we should not fear.

            Why not?

“But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.”

God addressed both kingdoms and tells them not to fear the Babylonian exile.

They are not to fear because they are the servant of God. God gave them the high calling of being the people who served God by receiving His Law, witnessing it to the world, announcing the coming of the Savior, and having the Savior come through the people of Israel and Judah as God promised and the prophets foretold.  God chose them to be the people who obey and announce God to the nations.

And so, we should not fear because we live after the coming of the Savior, Jesus, and He has charged all Christians to be His servants and to spread the Gospel to the whole world.  You and I – as the spiritual Israel – have been chosen to obey and announce God to the nations.

Peter writes, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (I Peter 2:16, ESV).

They are not to fear because they are chosen of God. God chose them as a people to be holy – to be separate – to be strangers in a strange land – to be different – to call attention to themselves for the sake of the Word of God and the promise of His salvation.

We also have this call upon us – as believers – we are to be a holy people, set apart, a people that the world looks at and says, “you’re different.”

Peter talks about the restoration of the world at the return of Jesus and says, “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,” (II Peter 3:11, ESV).

They are not to fear because God made them and formed them. We have seen this language before – that not only was humanity – beginning with our first parents – create by God out of the dust of the earth, but each individual is created by God in the womb, and God made and formed Israel to be the nation through which He gave the Law and the prophets and the Savior.

Of the individual being made and formed, David writes:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16, ESV).

And of the making and forming of a people for God through which He works and makes Himself and His salvation known, Peter writes:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (I Peter 2:9-10, ESV).

God made and formed His people for Himself and to His Glory and that includes all who believe – you and me.  So, we should not fear – God has made us for Himself.

And they are not to fear because God will help them.

This is a theme throughout the Scriptures, despite the sin of Israel and her need for discipline – and ours as well.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Psalm 28:7, ESV).

“As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” (Psalm 40:17, ESV).

“for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy” (Psalm 63:7, ESV).

“My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2, ESV).

John Calvin says that God is never so angry with His Church that He doesn’t have some room for mercy.

And the author of Hebrews tells us, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So, we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6, ESV).

Yes, war is coming.  Yes, you will be conquered.  Yes, you will be taken into captivity.  Yes, this is My discipline of you. But don’t fear – you are My servant – My chosen people – and you will always be the ones I chose.  I formed you and made you from the womb to be My people and you will always be mine, not matter what you go through.  And even in your captivity and during your discipline, I am your Helper.  I will help you to endure your discipline and come out the other side.

God says this to Israel and to all who believe:  You are My servant – part of My chosen people – the ones I chose from the womb.  I knew you and chose you to be a part of My people before You began to exist.  And I am now and will always be your Helper.  Trust in the promises of God – rely on the promises of God.

Don’t fear.  Endure by the Promises of God.

Second, hope in the promise of a blessed future.

The hope in the promise of a blessed future is another reason for Israel and Judah not to fear – as is our hope in the promise of a blessed future a reason for us not to fear.

God gives Israel and Judah the promise of luxuriant blessing:

“For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.”

God tells them that He will pour out water on the parched ground – He will refresh them with spiritual blessing.  God will cause their dry, desiccated hearts to come to life and refresh them – plump them up – bring them back to life and fill them with spiritual blessing.  He will revive them and cause them to flourish.

And not just that generation, but the day will come when the descendants of these people will not only be spiritually refreshed, but God the Holy Spirit will dwell in them to work the Will of God in them and to grow them to spiritual maturity and into the likeness of Jesus, the Savior.

Peter quotes from the book of Joel:

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy’” (Acts 2:17-18; ESV).

Blessings shall be poured out on all the people of God – everyone who believes savingly in the Promised Savior.  This is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham:

“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:17-18, ESV).

You and I – if we believe that Jesus is God the Savior – we are some of the offspring that God promised Abraham He would pour His blessings upon and fill with God the Holy Spirit.

“They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.”

Albert Barnes explains, “Willows are usually planted in such places, and grow rapidly and luxuriantly. It denotes here, abundant increase, vigor and beauty; and means that their posterity would be greatly blessed of God” (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/44-4.htm).

We see this imagery in Psalm 1:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3, ESV).

God pours out His blessings on the people of God and grows us.  That does not mean we will never suffer, nor does it mean we won’t be disciplined.  After all, our Father loves us.  But it means that we are blessed and will always be the Lord’s and be received into His Kingdom eternally.

“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.”

God chose the nation of Israel, but not all of Israel was spiritual Israel.  God has chosen the Church, but not every person in the church is a believer in the Savior.  But all those who genuinely believe will confess the Lord with their mouth and believe in Him in their hearts.

The name of the Savior will be written on their hand and their head, and all will know that they are of the Lord.

This imagery is carried into the New Testament as we read in Revelation:

“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless” (Revelation 14:1-5, ESV).

We don’t need to get tattoos – the writing of the name on our foreheads is symbolic – like the rest of Revelation – it means that they are the true believers.  And the number of people is symbolic of all the people who will ever believe – not merely that small number.

Israel and Judah – the true believers – had nothing to fear – no matter what they were to endure – even death – because God pours out His blessings upon them.  So, we have nothing to fear – no matter what we must endure – because God still pours out His blessings – in His time – as He knows we need them – on every true believer.

And Israel and Judah had hope – because the Promise of God was of a blessed future.  Even if they died – what was that?  They still had a blessed future with God.  So, we have the promise of a blessed future through Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Savior.  All who believe in Jesus will be with Him in Glory forever – whether we die before He returns or are received alive into the Kingdom.

Let us be comforted with these words and let us comfort each other with these words.  As we face a – seemingly more – uncertain future than usual in the Covid world.

We are the servants of God, chosen, made, and formed by Him for Himself, and He is our help, and He has promised us a blessed future.  Have hope in Jesus even if we must weep among the dead of war and be taken into captivity.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, help us to believe everything Your Word says, to learn from what You have done among Your people in the past, and to believe Your promises with hope.  As the world looks on and is dismayed by how strange we react to devastating news, help us to put our hope in You forward that all will know that You are our God and our hope is in You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

 

 

Review: "Mindfulness for Beginners" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVW8s0h5lQc&feature=youtu.be

Review: "Mindfulness for Beginners" (manuscript)

 

            Mindfulness for Beginners: 4 Weeks to Everyday Peace, Gratitude, and Focus by Ashley Sharp is a thorough and straightforward introduction and guide to mindfulness.

            Sharp explains that mindfulness is taking stock of what something is in the now without judgement. It is considering an event or a feeling and acknowledging what it is in the moment, accepting it for what it is and then making positive decisions based on that knowledge and acceptance.

            After the introduction to mindfulness, the book is divided into four sections for the four weeks of learning mindfulness: the first week considers one’s body, the second one’s home, the third one’s work, and the fourth, the world.

            Sharp leads the reader through a meditation each day – and it may take a couple of reads of what she wants you so you have it down before you actually go ahead and do it.  Each day also lists the approximate amount of time for the meditation (5 to 15 minutes for the most part, though you can go longer), and then she has a section on how to deal with challenges relative to the meditation and adjustments you can make to better benefit from the meditation.

            There are periodic pages with inspirational quotes on artistic backgrounds.

            The book ends with a chapter on how to go forward after the four weeks and a list of resources.

            I found this book helpful and encouraging. I am adding more mindfulness practice into my own life especially as I have times of anxiety.  It is helpful to stop and consider what is really happening in the moment, address it as such, and move forward in a positive way.

            If you find the world a bit too fast, might I suggest you give mindfulness a try?

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Portraits of a Pastor" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ0WI3qqut8&feature=youtu.be

Review: "Portraits of a Pastor" (manuscript)

 

            Portraits of a Pastor: The 9 Essential Roles of a Church Leader, edited by Jason K. Allen, is a collection of nine essay with a conclusion on the being or the essence of being a pastor.  Shocking as it may be to many in the twenty-first century church, “administrator,” and “sexton” did not make the list.

            The authors of this book identify the biblical roles of the pastor to be those of shepherd, husband and father, preacher, theologian, church historian, evangelist, missionary, leader, and man of God.

            I found these essays encouraging – affirming what I believe about the ministry – and precise – drawing clear boundaries around what the ministry is not.

            In a time when many believe that the pastor’s role is to be a social worker or a social justice warrior, this book is a welcome tonic.

            Besides affirming things I believed about the pastorate, I was encouraged when one of the authors argued that Peter sinned in denying Christ, but was restored to the ministry, so there is no sin, other than apostasy that disqualifies a repentant return to the ministry after sin.

            This is one of the books I would recommend to anyone considering a call to ministry.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

"Forgiveness of Sin" Sermon: Isaiah 43:22-28 (manuscript)

 

“Forgiveness of Sin”

[Isaiah 43:22-28]

September 6, 2020 YouTube

            “Yet.”

            Last week we saw God tell Jerusalem – and us – that the Father loves His people and He is Sovereign in their redemption.  This is good news and gives hope to people who are in times of trouble or who will be going through times of trouble.  No matter what we endure, God the Father loves us and has sovereignly redeemed us through His Son. And that is easy to say, but when we are in the moment of suffering, it is what we must hold onto as everything else fades away.

            “Yet.”

            God has told Jerusalem – and all believers – that God chose us for His own reasons – not because He needed us or found some merit in us to be worthy of becoming His people.  No, His reasons are a mystery.  He has chosen according to the increasing of His Glory.

            Yet, Jerusalem continued in her sin and blamed God.

“Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob; but you have been weary of me, O Israel!”

Jerusalem did not turn to God and seek Him to turn away from temptation to sin.  Rather, they said the Law of God was too hard – it wore them out – so they did what they thought was best – what pleased them.

And we do the same.

We make excuses and rationalize our sin.  “One time won’t matter: I’ve been a good person.  God must forgive me – I have been a good person.  It’s ok, everybody does it.  Did God really mean what He said?  Don’t you think that was just how the people of the time thought?  We know more than the people in Bible days, and we know it is not wrong to do that. It’s not wrong because these giant corporations steal from us, so it’s just payback.”

 “You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings, or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, or wearied you with frankincense.”

God gave Israel specific instructions on what and when and how much they were to give out of what they received.  Yet, they did not bring the sacrifices God required.  And God does not need anything from us, but He requires these things so we will grow in faith and obedience.

God tells us that we are to give generously – especially to the church and its work of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul writes:

“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11, ESV).

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18-19, ESV).

And God commands that our offering be given without any hint of sin or blemish.  But we know that our offering is never perfectly given and without any hint of sin.  We do not yet perfectly worship our God.

“You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you” (Leviticus 22:20, ESV).

God gives us the gift and commands us to come to Him in prayer – and He provides even when we don’t know how to pray:

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27, ESV).

But Jerusalem – and we – do not go to God as often as we should or with the zeal that we should.  Sweet cane and the fat of the animals were used in incense and in the production of smoke going up from the sacrifices – symbolizing the prayers of the saints. As we understand from Revelation:

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8, ESV).

“Yet.”

“You have not bought me sweet cane with money, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.”

“But.”

Second, God is faithful in His promise of salvation.

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

In the midst of God’s denunciation of Jerusalem’s – and our – continuing in sin and not being the holy, faithful, and obedient people He has called us to be – God says – and notice the repetition – God wants Jerusalem – and us – to know that this is all of God – nothing of any human merit – just God.  God forgives the sins of all those who believe, not for our merit – not because we earned it – but for His Own sake – because God is faithful – always faithful in all that He promises.

Paul explains:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:6-11, ESV).

God chose to love and save a people for Himself, and He deals with the justice of saving us though we are sinners by sending His Son to take on our sin and suffer the fullness of God’s Wrath for it.  He is our Substitute so God can righteously save sinners.

Ezekiel explains what happens:

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezekiel 36:22-27, ESV).

All who believe in Jesus, the Savior, are saved by the Unmerited Grace of God, because God is faithful in His promise of salvation.

And this is good news, is it not?  Not matter what you and I are going through – Covid, chronic disease, death, destruction, even captivity in Babylon, God is faithful to His promises, because God cannot be unfaithful to Himself and His desires.

Third, we cannot justify ourselves.

“Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.”

Some still argued that God’s discipline of them was unwarranted.  After all, there are much worse people than they – consider the Babylonians and their sin – why should Jerusalem be punished when they are the people of God?

So, God tells them to come into the courtroom and present a defense – show God He is wrong, and He will back down from punishing their sin and disciplining them.

Whenever we think, “well, I’m not as bad as so-and-so,” we’ve missed the point.  The point is not, who’s worse, but did you and I sin?  Are you and I guilty and in need of repentance?

God speaks first in this courtroom scene and demolishes any attempt for anyone to defend their sin:

“Your first father sinned, and your mediators transgressed against me.”

God begins by stating that their first father – and our first father – who acted as our representative in the Garden – he sinned and sinned on behalf of all of humanity so we are born sinners, inclined towards sin, with a sin nature.  We are born already guilty of sin.  We are not born innocent.  We are already guilty as we are born – in need of a savior.

And some will say, “That’s not fair.”

The point is we are under a representative government – God is free to do what He wants and set things up as He desires.  Our government in the United States is a representative government, so we suffer the sins and foolish decisions of our leaders, and we vote them in and out depending on how we believe they are representing us and acting on our behalf.

So, God says, “To begin with, all mere humans are born guilty of sin due to our first father.”

And then God says that the “mediators” – the priests and the teachers of the Law – actively sin against God.  Not even the Pharisees – who, despite their sins, strove to keep every word of the Law perfectly – even they sinned.

Jesus says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20, ESV).

And Stephen says, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:51-53, ESV).

To this God responds, “Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction and Israel to reviling.”

God explains that no mere human can justify himself – no mere human can become right with God on his own – God must step in and make him right.

In the meantime, God chooses to grow His people and destroy all that is abhorrent to God by disciplining His people.  Not that God would annihilate them but discipline the sin out of them. And that is what would happen when the Babylonians conquered.

What Jerusalem needed to hear – what we need to hear – is the point that salvation is God’s work for God’s purposes – God forgives us for our sin through Jesus because it is pleasing to Him and glorifying to Him to do so.

As John writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:9-10, ESV).

God forgives us through Jesus for His Own Sake.  And we ought to confess our sins to Him quickly, sincerely, and humbly, and He will forgive us.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, You chose to forgive Your people for Your Own Sake, and we are stunned by that Truth.  We continue to sin and lay the blame on others – even You – and still, You will forgive us.  We praise and glorify Your Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for saving us when we could not save ourselves.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

"Forgiveness of Sin" Sermon: Isaiah 43:22-28 (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POYeec9D2_8&feature=youtu.be

Review: "The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fosZPMPR0s&feature=youtu.be

Review: "The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square" (manuscript)

 

            The Life of the Church: The Table, Pulpit, and Square by Joe Thorn is the third book in his series also containing, The Heart of the Church and The Character of the Church.  In this book, he seeks to answer the question, “What should a church do?”

            He begins by explaining that “a local church is an assembly of believers in Jesus who are united together by a common confession, are gathered in one localized body, are ruled by Scripture, and work together for the mission given them by the Lord” (9).  What is that mission – “the primary responsibility given to the church” (10)?  Thorn argues it is making disciples (10).

            This occurs in three arenas:

            First, the table. Here Thorn emphasizes the need for believers to practice hospitality and meet in small groups to study the Word and get to know each other and care for each other.

            Second, the pulpit. Thorn explains that every Christian is to meet and sit under the Word read and preached and see it affect every part of the worship service, such that it is totally Word-centered.  This is done because we exist to glorify God.

            Third, the square. This means we are Christians, as well as the church, are to be “present, engaged, and known” in our community (79).  We are to be known by the community for our doctrine and good works (80).

            This is a particularly good primer on what it means to be the church.  It is a book that is very accessible and can be used individually or in small group study – perhaps even given to every church member and explains through a sermon series, small group study, newsletter, or other means.

            I would have preferred he start with glorifying God as being the primary work of the church and then find the three areas flowing out of it, but he does pick it up as the purpose we are to be aiming at, so it is there.

            This is a valuable book in a time when people think the church is a babysitting organization.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Sola: How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church" (video)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ2S6vDsjYk&feature=youtu.be

Review: "Sola: How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church" (manuscript)

 

            Sola:  How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church, edited by Jason K. Allen, is a collection of five essays on the five solas, why they are biblical, and how they should affect the twenty-first century church.

            Allen makes the point that the Reformers did not put forth a systematic explanation of the solas, though the themes of them can be found in their work – and it is the addition of the word sola – alone – that separates Protestant churches from the Roman Catholic Church.

            The five solas are:

            Scripture alone – all we need to know for salvation and life is taught in the Scripture and no other documents or persons are needed or can add to the truth of what the Scripture says.

            Grace alone – salvation is not merited by anything we do or don’t do but is gifted only by the Sovereign Grace of God.

            Faith alone – the only means of receiving salvation is through faith.

            Christ alone – no one and nothing adds or assists Christ’s work of salvation.

            Glory to God alone – salvation and everything that occurs is all to the glory of God alone.

            I won’t enumerate the practical applications of the solas but leave that to your reading.  Suffice it to say that the applications are appropriate and well worth adopting.  Any biblical church will teach the solas and apply them in the ministry of the church.

            This is an excellent introduction to the solas, and I highly recommend it for personal or group study.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]