February 7th, 2016
Transcription:
sometimes we bypass things in life we you know if you go one direction you can’t go the other right it’s pretty simple you make your choices there is the saying I you make your bed then lie in it right it’s what you make that’s what you’re gonna have and so we continue in the Book of Isaiah which is so rich and so awesome and so today we’re gonna go to chapter 28 okay Isaiah 28 and the title is bypassing God bypassing God now when you take a road trip I love the background of the organ okay so when you take a road trip across Canada okay or the u.s. this continent often you would see a bypass sign so meaning you take a highway and it goes through the city but you don’t have to go through the city you can bypass the city you can bypass the traffic and just take take a route around whatever you want to bypass right it’s pretty awesome it’s pretty convenient for people that are traveling and want to bypass some traffic but sometimes in our life we bypass stuff that we should not be bypassing we go around stuff that we should be going right through that we should be facing this society will tell you you know what yeah you want to make life as easy as possible so you wanna you want to bypass all the hard stuff you don’t if you don’t want to go through the hard stuff well just just ignore it and sometimes we ignore things or we bypass stuff that is so crucial and so important in our life and that’s what the Book of Isaiah the 28th chapter is is talking about talking about the Israelites talking about Judah talking about Samaria and it’s talking about how they were trying to take the the the easy way out to bypass God bypass whatever God was doing in their in their life and so when we have the spiritual journey every single one of us is on a spiritual journey and when you are on that spiritual journey it’s it’s not good to take bypasses it’s not good to bypass something that is really really important and uh and and and crucial and are in our lives and I think that occasionally you will meet a person who is very you know versed and and could be knowledgeable in in the Bible and they and they they they go through through the verses and they study the Bible not to get direction from from the Bible but to maybe find even some loopholes that oh maybe I can do this in my life and get away with it you know and and so uh the Bible says so so I can I can do that or some people in the Bible have done that so I can do that too you know and and and so and sometimes it is a trap in our in our lives that you know people can take their you know or argue their grounds and argue their activities that they engage in in their in their lives so the context of this scripture let me read a few verses of chapter 28 and verse 13 to 16 we will read more excuse me for my voice I did find out that I have bronchitis so stay away from me but uh but it okay it’s a now that I shake and I say hi to all of you I do have some you know the squirty thing yeah head sighs okay so after the service I’ll give you a hand signs Isis so you go anyway but I I would not I I would not miss this opportunity to be here with you guys and so here I am sick I am Who I am okay with that I had there you go back up so she all right so yeah I know she’s strong all our kids got it yeah so anyway to set the context of the scripture okay let’s read the scripture the 13th verse of the 20th chapter of Isaiah this is what it says so the Lord will spell out his message for them again one line at a time one line at a time a little here and a little there therefore okay listen to this message from the Lord you scoff you scoffing rulers of Jerusalem you boast you have struck a bargain to cheat death and have made a deal to dodge the grave for we have built a strong refuge made of Lies and the end deception okay this is what they this is what they said therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says look I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem a firm and tested stone it is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on whoever believes need never be shaken and of course the cornerstone and all that it talks about who Jesus okay that if you build on the foundation that is Jesus Christ you don’t need to be shaken your life doesn’t need to be shaken the stuff that is going on around you you don’t need to be shaken by that because your life is built on Jesus and so this is this is what this is what we want to talk about today do not bypass some stuff I think that the future of a person that is bypassing some god stuff in their life is it’s pretty dark it’s pretty gloomy it’s pretty you know depressing because because a life without Jesus is empty can you say that with me I’m getting closer and closer to you and you go your eyes he’s getting close okay so can you say that can you say that with me a life without Jesus is empty okay so that’s what that’s what I want to talk to you about you you guys about today so first of all by passing a crown of glory for a crown of pride that’s what this this is talking about so let’s dive into verse 1 to verse 5 what sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel it sits at the head of a fertile valley but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower it is the pride of a people but brought down by wine for the Lord will send a mighty army against it like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain they will burst upon upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground the proud city of Samaria the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel will be trampled beneath its Army’s feet its it sits at the head at the head of a fertile valley but its glorious beauty will fade like a flower whoever sees sees it will snatch it up as an early fig is quickly picked and eaten then at last the Lord of heavens army armies will himself be Israel’s a glorious crown he will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people now here’s the thing and I have and I have that honor on the slide when you go through life you choose a direction okay you choose a direction and if you choose one direction you can’t be on a way somewhere else okay and this is what what this is talking about if you choose to give up you can’t be on there on the road to never giving up okay you choose either this or that and every crossroad every you know point where you got to choose involves the decision now decisions are not easy decisions and I but when you make a decision you want to make it you want you want your decision to be an informative decision that you have enough information to make that decision now to turn to the right means that you are not gonna be going through the stuff that is on the left that’s that’s very very simple right I want I don’t want you to get upset with me because I’m saying some obvious things because here’s we’re gonna see that Israel really got upset about when God was spelling things out for them giving them a simple message and they actually got upset with God I said would it who does he think that we are babies that he talks to us in a very very simple way but he was just saying some obvious things now the first thing is a glorious crown everyone say glorious crown you see you get a choice you have a choice to wear a glorious crown or a crown of pride a human crown and so you see God breathed into men this a breath of life that that some day so the purpose that you are here on this earth God gave you life so that one day you can wear a crown of of glory this glorious crown and and and so it says that then at least the Lord of heavens army will himself be Israel’s glorious crown and he will he will be the pride and joy of the remnant of his people okay we want I want my life to be crowned at the end with a crown of glory something that God will be proud of me something that when God looks down says all well done well done good and faithful servant okay well done that’s what I want I don’t want to be consumed with a proud with a proud crown where it’s like oh I can get this on this earth but but then I will lose my crown in heaven so I think that there’s nothing on this on this earth and listen to me there’s nothing on this earth that can crown your life as as beautifully as this crown of glory that you will get in heaven we are very short-sighted as as as people okay we don’t see far down the road we live in the moment a lot of people live in the moment today is what Super Bowl Sunday okay today people will be making silly decisions just people that don’t like football will be watching football did you know that people it is almost a national holiday in the United States and Canada too here’s an interesting fact today today during halftime will be this is a useless fact but I thought it was will be the biggest consumption of water that at the same time that that has that is ever throughout the year in the United States people go to the bathroom right just the biggest things on the menu are what pizza chicken wings eat the chicken wings and and like yeah it’s a dusting skins and then to drink people will drink a lot of beer today tomorrow they will go to the pharmacy because their stomachs are gonna be hurting people are making money on everything and they already know that you know that that the biggest you know III forget I was I was coming in today and listening on the radio and they were giving like really interesting facts of you know how much money will be like they project will be spent on this and that and and all kinds of all all kinds of stuff but people will make really really stupid and silly decisions today after they consume all this stuff they can’t think far ahead they sometimes will be there they don’t even know why they don’t know the rules of football but they are there because because it’s a happening place people were going buy TVs okay because because and they estimated how many millions and millions of TVs are sold just because they’re Super Bowl and there are some people that don’t know the rules of football and will never watch a football game for the rest of the year but they will go buy a TV and spend watching this thing today now okay I will probably try to watch it too right right but it is pretty entertaining but but but but look we need to have a long term vision and and and nowhere are we gonna end up at the end of our life because we know no children here and even with children that’s sometimes good to talk about because we know that our life will end one day I mean there’s no we we all know that and it is amazing how we can be deceived by the fact that you know what oh yeah we are good and healthy now except the bronchitis right but we are good and healthy now and we feel strong okay but we but we know that those good beautiful healthy days will one day come to an end it’s just a fact of life and so let’s not put so much stock into these days now let’s use these days to really build up the future and build up your glorious crown and so that’s what that’s what it is every person is traveling toward a day of of of your coronation you know that one day you will be crying you will be crowned but with what crown that’s that’s the question and so now every every death even any in your life can be a beautiful silent a testimony it can be a beautiful thing you know sometimes it’s it’s when I when I go and I visit and two three months ago two months ago I went and I visited a pastor that was that was dying and some of you know who I’m talking about and it was absolutely incredible to walk into his room and he knew that he was at the end of his days I mean it was hours it was days but it was just such an incredible piece in that room in fact he told me that he says he says you know it’s it’s incredible how you know the nurses it almost fight who is gonna come and and work my room because there is this this presence you know he he was not not because of who he was but because of Jesus and the nurses were coming and saying oh yeah you know I I love working this room I love working with you because there’s just something about you there’s this piece it’s just this there’s something and I think that it was absolutely beautiful you know I left that room and you know how you go and you see someone and you pretty much know that you will see them for the very last time here on this earth but you leave and you’re not depressed you leave and you’re not like down I left and I was encouraged I left and I was encouraged to live my life in such a way I left and I was encouraged that that that that you know what I do on this earth and how I act really impacts other people that I can impact other people for good right and so and so it is absolutely incredible and amazing how how even at the end of our life there can be this this time of when we are dying it could be beautiful it can be beautiful and so I want to encourage every single one of us I’m encouraging myself to that that my life would be this this beautiful sweet fragrance in there and and you know to Jesus that that he would be pleased with with Who I am and there’s also it talks about the crowd this crown of of pride using Samaria okay Isaiah is is talking about this northern kingdom of of Israel and he’s giving this warning this is what he says what sorrow awaits the proud city of Samaria the glorious crown of the drunks of Israel it sits at the head of a fertile valley but it’s glorious beauty will fade like a flower it looks amazing now but it will fade like a flower you know that the flowers are beautiful are nice but when they die they’re not so nice and we know that they will die one day and so and so here’s he says that a couple of times and then when we read it is the pride of a people brought down by wine for the Lord will send a mighty army against against it like a mighty hailstorm and a torrential rain they will burst upon it like a surging flood and smash it to the ground its glorious beauty he says it again will fade like a flower its glorious beauty will fade like a fire you know what this is talking about talking about our our life talking about how you know often we think that we have all that and we’re all that strong and we put so much stock in the moment and the Bible says look doesn’t matter how beautiful the moment is and I don’t mean it to be a very discouraging sermon but but but I want us to have a perspective a long-term perspective a heaven perspective God wants you to enjoy this moment God wants you to enjoy every moment on on this earth but but if you will put your faith and you will build the joy and the pride of your life from that moment it’s not gonna last forever what will last forever is is when you will look ahead and you will look into you will look into heaven so you know there’s this there’s this this thing of when the flowers I you know when the winter comes although you know it feels like the winter never came yet you know but but but the but the flowers died before the winter oh they are they the trees and the leaves and they turn brown and but but it has it has its purpose on this on this on this earth but we know that summer will not last forever we know that it’s just a way life is built so I think that it is sobering and I think it’s it’s important that we look at it and and draw wisdom from it that we would understand that that life that life is fragile life is beautiful but life will one day end and then what is going to happen with us and so you know often like it talks about some samaria and stuff and and it talks about how samaria would fall victim to the CRU Assyrians in fact what God is doing here is he is he’s saying look I want to teach you a lesson okay I want to teach you a lesson and when I am teaching you a lesson it is going to be done out of grace out of love but you can choose that to learn the same lesson but you can choose that that this world would teach you a lesson and so again there is this bypassing scriptural instruction for worldly instruction we can choose the scriptural instruction or we can choose the instruction that this world is doing or giving us we will learn the same lesson often but if we learn it from the scripture from what God is saying and he’s coming and approaching us from love and grace then we don’t have to go often through a lot of hardships in our in our lives verses 11 and 13 so now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors check this out through foreign oppressors who speak a strange language God has told his people here is a place of rest let the weary rest here this is a place of quiet rest but they would not listen so the Lord will spell out his message for them again one line at a time one line at a time a little here and a little there so that they will stumble and fall and they will be injured trapped and captured look God is trying to teach his people a lesson and the sooner we listen the quicker we will learn the the Israelites were in this in this situation see there’s no sense in or there is a sense in which scripture and the world both teach us the same lesson okay scripture in the world in in some ways teach us the same lesson the difference is like I said the scripture will teach you with grace and with love and the world will teach you with some really harsh experiences sometimes you know there’s commercials now and they start with there is a consequence to every choice right there’s a consequence to every choice and it’s it is so true you know when the world will teach you a lesson you will have to learn from the mistakes that you make and the mistakes part you have to go through a better experience and it and it hurts sometimes when you go through the same thing but with God it is different it is easier God is there with you God even though sometimes it might be tough God is carrying you God is walking with you the Bible I think tells us that that it is always always empty when God is left out of your life always empty when God is left out of your life so I think that yet people just like the Israelites make this choice of no no no we want to learn on our own we want to learn on our own and is it’s it’s often a waste of time it’s often a waste of resources so let’s look at the scripture as an an instructor and for some strange reason I think people resist the teaching of of the scripture sometimes it is it is you know difficult to see people when they say no no I don’t want to I don’t want to listen to this III think that I can figure it out on my own I think that I can put this aside and I can try to go through it on my own and although I think Isaiah is speaking specifically concerning the sins of Samaria and and he is also speaking about those who live in Jerusalem and and he says so the Lord will spell out his message again and again you know sometimes God speaks to us again and again how many of you find fine find that out that that that he speaks to you again and again and sometimes it’s the same message and sometimes people get upset God why are you speaking to me the same thing well maybe because in the first place we have not obeyed everything that he has said and he has to say it again so Isaiah’s listeners here they they choose not to not not for their walk in their life to be simple according to the to the Word of God but they but they have seen this or gods and structures as as unimportant it’s something that you know it’s not that important in their in their lives and that’s what that’s what they are talking about here you know sometimes with with our kids we teach our kids and we say look you know don’t do this because you know because because because something bad is gonna happen and and and some of our kids I obviously like some of our kids because we have four okay so so some of our kids well and they have it hey like a built in system that right away they say no no no right or or I will say you know you can’t do this because and before I even finish he says no no but Dad no no and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is no and I’m like okay let’s stop why are you saying no like you don’t know you didn’t even let me finish but right away you say no because what because you think that you know better than me it’s it’s true and often in our walk with God we before even God finishes something we say no no God or or we say yeah yeah oh yes yes and then we walk away and still doing the same thing and israelites here a learning a really tough lesson and they’re choosing the world to be their instructor not a scripture not God but the world and of course they say no to God and they learn at their from the hands of this world and somehow and we know in our theology that God is also behind that too cuz nothing happens in this world without him knowing but he wants to instruct us without so much hurt and without so much sadness in our life but if that’s what we choose well he might be behind that too but then we are learning from this bitter experience that we have and so when when people drunk with pride that this this passage says drunk with pride reject the teachings of Scripture they then can expect you know more severe consequences or more severe instruction in their lives so how so now God will this is what it says in verse 11 now God will have to speak to his people through foreign oppressors and a lot of times in the life of the Israelites God had to use a foreign oppressors to come in and teach them a lesson in this case is the Assyrians they were cruel people cruel people tough it wasn’t easy for the Israel but that’s what they have chosen Samaria may have taken God’s message message very very lightly but until they see the Assyrians at the very bottom of their defensive walls until they hear the assyrian language on their streets all my goodness now they’ve realized we have allowed them to control our lives and often with with our situations is the same way god wants to teach us something but we don’t see it we don’t want to until the assyrians come and invade our life and we have to learn the lesson so my message to you and God’s message to you is don’t allow the world teach you be your instructor allow Jesus listen to him very first time and I know that often you know we have to make our own mistakes go through our and learn from yes but you know what what if what if we were so you know so given to the Lord and given to God that we would listen to him the first time listen to him and say yeah this is what I’m gonna do I need to quickly finish because it’s taking a long time so the last thing bypassing Jesus for human alliances for a human recognition and this is what it this is what it says in verse 16 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says look I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem affirmed and tested stone in his precious cornerstone that is safe to build on however or whoever believes need never be shaken I will test you with my measuring line of justice check this out ma I will test you with my measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness since your refuge is made of lies and a hailstorm will knock it down since it is made of deception a flood will sweep it away okay this is what it says listen to this message from the Lord listen to this message from let’s look at Jesus as our foundation okay he says look I’m placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem see he’s talking in this language because the people of Israel would have known a lot about cornerstones we have have known a lot about the foundations I mean you know those that were listening to what Isaiah was saying they knew that solemn temple was built from really awesome awesome foundation on a very good foundation I mean those cornerstones and those foundations were they they were as much as 38 feet long 38 feet long one piece and and and they were almost 100 tons each they you I don’t know how they build it I don’t know how they you know but but that’s what they they knew that it was important to build whatever they were building on a good foundation and so the message for you today is build your foundation on a cornerstone build your foundation on a on the stone that is that is Jesus himself do not build it on this world do not build it on sand do not build it on on on the pleasures of this world because we read this again before that they will fade like a flower they will fade they will be it will be gone but if you will build on this foundation that says you will never be shaken yes the situation’s will come into your life but you will never be shaken you will never be compromised I love this this is what what God says I will test you with a measuring line of justice measuring line of justice and I will test and I and the plumb line of righteousness those are his measurements he measures with his justice and he measures with his righteousness I don’t know how many of you know that to build a good like let’s say this church right they had to build it and they had to use measurement or measuring tapes and they had to use plumb lines if if you build a wall and you do not build it with a plumb line you know what apply my and plumb line is it’s it’s it’s it’s two line right weight on the bottom and it shows you how straight you know your wall is supposed to be and so you lay the bricks nice and straight because if you will lay the bricks and you don’t use a plumb line it will you can go through the right and then you can try to come back but but you have this this bulging in your wall and with all the weight on it it will give at some point it will crumble and this is what it is when you build your life without a plumber and plumb line of righteousness measuring of justice this is what he’s talking about so he’s challenging us to build our lives according to what the Bible says and if you will build that yes storm will come and will beat against your wall against your life but it will not crumble because you have built it right because you have builded according to what the Word of God says and also you know it talks about how the Israelites or you know Jerusalem was trying to be self-sufficient and I had a secret weapon they actually hear you read before they have made a secret arrangement with the Egyptians before they had made a secret arrangement with the Egyptians thinking okay I’m gonna have that ace in the back of my pocket a person that is trying to build their life on their own and be self-sufficient they they always try to you know have that ace in their pocket you know something up their sleeve I will be fine on my own guys if I can encourage you let’s not think about that let’s think about building our lives the right way from the beginning from the beginning that your walls that your life will be straight would be measured with justice and plumbed with righteousness that that then when something comes into your life you will not be shaken when an earthquake and you will feel my goodness my life is coming apart not it will not come apart because you’ve build it on the right foundation the cornerstone and that is Jesus you