| |
Book: Isaiah
 Print ( PC Only )
Isaiah 1:18 Come now let us reason together.
Intro. God's offer of salvation and the forgiveness of sins is the most
reasonable offer ever made. It makes sense.
Vs. 2 God said that He brought up and nourished children that rebelled
against Him.
A. Have you ever stopped to think how dumb it is to rebel against
God?
B. The prophet said, "Woe unto him who strives with his Maker.
1. First of all how could you ever hope to win?
2. The Greeks used to say, "The dice of the gods are
loaded." This was to express the fact that it was
stupid to think that you could go against God and win.
C. To rebel against God is to rebel against your own good, for
God wants the very best for you.
1. God allows you to do everything that is good and
beneficial. To Adam in the garden He said, "Of all of
the trees in the garden, you may freely eat."
2. He only forbids that which is harmful and destructive.
"Of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, you
shall not eat, the fruit of that tree is deadly."
There was probably a bacteria that would cause a break
down of the cells and mutations, thus the aging
process.
3. What a beautiful and glorious world this would be if
everyone followed God's rules.
Vs. 3 They don't consider. They are not thinking.
A. Think for a moment, about the sin of fornication, how long does
the thrill last?
1. 20 seconds, 30 seconds? How long does the guilt, and
mental remorse last, days, weeks, years, sometimes a
lifetime, especially if in the act you contracted
a venereal disease.
2. One of the teachers aides that worked at the school
years ago was going with this fellow who was not a
Christian, and kept pressuring her for sex. One night
in a moment of passion she went to bed with him,
only to find out shortly after that she now had herpes,
a miserable disease for which there is no cure.
B. One moment of disobedience can cause a lifetime of grief, and
even worse, an eternity of torment if you do not repent and
receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Vs. 4 They made God angry, that is not smart, you depend on Him to
sustain your life.
A. Belshazzer was the king of Babylon, he had inherited the throne
from his grandfather Nebuchadnezzer. It was one of the greatest
and most powerful kingdoms in history.
1. The walls around Babylon were 80 wide, and 387 feet
high. The city was considered to be invincible.
2. When the Medo-Persian armies attacked the city, to show
his disdain for his enemy he ordered a great feast in
the banquet hall of the palace that was to last for
a week.
3. When he and the guests were pretty drunk, he ordered
that the gold and silver vessels that his grandfather
had taken from the temple of Jerusalem when conquered
and destroyed the city of Jerusalem be brought in that
they might drink their wine out of these sacred
vessels.
4. As they were drinking from these vessels and praising
the gods of gold and silver suddenly there appeared a
hand that was writing cryptic words on the wall.
5. When none could interpret the words Daniel was called
in for help.
a. Before Daniel interpreted the words to the
trembling king, he preached a sermon to him.
b. He spoke to him of the greatness of his
grandfathers kingdom and how when he exalted
himself against God, God allowed him to go
insane for seven seasons.
c. He rebuked him for his sacrilege in drinking
our of the holy vessels as he praised the gods
of gold and silver, then he declared to him,
"And the God in whose hands your very breath
is you have not glorified."
6. Your breath is in the hands of God.
a. Volunteer and involuntary muscles.
b. Your lungs are involuntary muscles.
7. You have been weighed in the balances and found
wanting, you have come up short, you're finished.
That's all she wrote, it's over. Tonight your soul
will be required of you.
Vs. 5 Why should you be stricken anymore. It is foolish to continue
doing those things that only bring you pain.
A. In sixth grade they had us memorize a poem called Invictus
1. I am captain of my fate, I am master of my soul,
My head is bloody but unbowed.
2. That might be good English literature, but it is stupid
thinking.
B. God said, "You are sick man." Sick in the head.
Vs. 6 They have become covered with putrid running sores from head to
toe.
A. Your bodies are like bags of puss.
B. There is no soundness. We use the phrase of a sound mind. That
means you are rational. We also use the phrase "Not of a sound
mind." That means you are crazy.
Vs. 7 Their lives have become a total mess.
A. They are so caught up in themselves that they do not even
notice it.
1. There are signs of decay and destruction all around.
2. Your life is falling apart, and you don't know it.
Others around you can see it, but you are blind to it.
Vs. 9 It is only the goodness of God that you are still around. "Except
the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we would
be totally destroyed."
A. The fact that you are still here is a sign of the patience and
mercy of God. He would have been justified to have wiped you
out a long time ago.
B. God is so good, He has delayed His judgment upon you to give
you an opportunity to repent.
Vs.15 God is saying "I've had it with you." It will ultimately come to
this place where God says that His Spirit will no longer strive
with man.
Vs.16 Clean up your act. "Wash and make you clean."
A. We know how difficult this is, for many have tried to do it
already.
B. This is why God has provided for us the cleansing.
1. How can a young man cleanse his way? By giving heed to
the word of God.
2. Jesus said, "Now you are clean through the word that I
have spoken unto you."
Vs.17 Get smart. "Learn to do well." Wise up man.
Vs.18 Use your head, be reasonable, think. "Come now let us reason
together saith the Lord, though your sins be a scarlet, you can be
as white as snow."
A. God is gracious and forgiving.
B. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth a man from all sin.
Vs.19 Live the good life.
A. If you are willing and obedient.
1. Willing to accept God's offer of forgiveness.
2. Willing to surrender your life to the Lordship of
Jesus.
B. You can live the good life. "You will eat of the good of the
land."
|