[0:00] In Isaiah chapter 41, there is a wicked king coming to attack and they're afraid. And there's all this going on about their gods. Whose God's the bigger God?
[0:11] And the basic premise of Isaiah 40 and 41, but mainly 41, is he's the only God. He is the only God. All around the world, there are beliefs in thousands of gods, millions of gods.
[0:24] In India alone, they worship over a million gods. But God makes very clear in the scriptures that he's the only God. In Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 10, he says, Fear thou not, for I am with thee.
[0:38] Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
[0:50] Now, he can say that because he is God. He can say that because he's the only God. He can say that because he has real power. And I've only got about 20 minutes.
[1:00] So, I'm going to just real quickly give you some things. But I want you to go home with this. This is really a confrontation between God and gods. It's really between the one true God.
[1:11] And basically, in this chapter, he's going to end up saying, They made their gods, and I made you. They made their gods, and I made you. Now, you tell me who the real God is here.
[1:22] The ones they made are, I made you. So, I am God. He said, their gods can't move. Their gods have to be soldered into place. Their gods are made out of wood. Their gods are made out of leftovers.
[1:33] But I am the God who made you. Real quickly, real quickly, I want you to go back to Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 3. And just look at some things that you got with Trent a couple, three weeks ago.
[1:44] John the Baptist is getting people ready for Jesus to come. And that's prophesied in Isaiah 43, the voice of him that cries in the wilderness. The second thing I want you to look at is Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 5.
[1:57] God wanted his glory revealed all the way back in the Old Testament to all flesh. Somehow, somewhere along the way, people tend to think God became a missionary God in the New Testament. But Isaiah chapter 40, verse 5, The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
[2:13] All flesh shall see it together. Isaiah chapter 40 taught us another lesson. You can trust this book. Could I get an amen right there? You see, here's what he said.
[2:25] He said in Isaiah chapter 40, verse 7, Y'all are like grass. You come up in the morning and you're dead by the evening. But this is the word of God. And it stands forever.
[2:36] Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 8. In Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 13, he said, Nobody teaches me anything. Nobody teaches me anything. He says in Isaiah 40, verse 13, Or being his counselor, who had directed the spirit of the Lord?
[2:50] You know, God doesn't need to be taught. Last thing he needs is any instruction from you on how to run the world. Because there's no other God like him. He's the creator of God. In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 18, he said, To whom will you liken God?
[3:03] How would you even make a comparison about who God is? You know why he doesn't like idols? Because none of them measure up. You know how you see a picture of yourself and say, That doesn't look like me? Probably does.
[3:14] And we all know that. But you don't know it. But you hate that picture. That's why I don't like my picture being made. Because I'm like, man, I hope I don't look like that. But you know what God says? He said, you can't make anything that even compares to me.
[3:25] What likeness will you compare unto him? I love this. In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 22, if it's not underlined, underline it. But Isaiah said that he was sitting on the circle of the earth.
[3:36] Do you want to underline that? It took them a long time to figure that out. About 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. They figured that out. And Isaiah knew it long before that. He made everything.
[3:48] He's setting us up. He's setting us up for chapter 41. Because in chapter 41, he's going to say, they made their gods. So chapter 40, he's just saying this. Y'all can't find anything that even measures up to looking like me.
[3:59] You can't make a comparison to me. You can't find anything that's even similar to me. Because I am unique. There's only one of me. I'm God. And then in Isaiah chapter 40, verse 25, he said, nothing like me.
[4:11] Nothing equal to me. And in verse 26, he said, lift up your eyes on high. And behold, who hath created these things? Look up. Y'all want to look up at the sky?
[4:22] You don't have to look at grass and ants. Look up at the sky. He said, who created them? And he calls them by their name. By the greatness of his might, he's strong in power. Forever not one faileth.
[4:33] Here is another truth about him in Isaiah 40, 28. He's the everlasting God. He's the everlasting. He's the always God. The forever God. The no beginning God and the no end God.
[4:44] Every God. And you don't know much about this because of where you happen to live. But do you know that down in Peru, I could drive you by the place where they're making the idols? And I could drive you by the place where they're making them.
[4:54] And then after they get through making them, they got to bless them so they can become them. They all got a birth date just like I do. And God said, I don't have a birth date because nobody made me. I don't have an end date. Those statues all wear out sooner or later, but not God.
[5:06] Look at Isaiah 40, 28. Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard that the everlasting God. You should underline that in your Bible. The everlasting God. That's a big deal. That's a big deal.
[5:17] What if tomorrow somebody comes along and says, I found a new God. I'd say, well, he's new. I got one that's been around forever. Forever. How far back has he been around? Everlasting.
[5:28] And not only that, everything I know, he created. He's the creator of the ends of the earth. And he doesn't ever even get tired. He never even gets tired. But the wicked, they make their own gods.
[5:39] The wicked make their own gods. Look, if you would. He's telling them, y'all don't need to be afraid. Here come those wicked kings with their gods to attack you. And they're telling you their gods are great.
[5:51] And I'm telling you, they're not great. He says, fact is that Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 2, he said, I raised up Cyrus. I'm the one that made him.
[6:02] You know, I'm above and beyond everything on this planet. Let's get together. Let's reason it out in chapter 41 and verse 1. In chapter 41 and verse 2, he said, who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, made him ruler over kings.
[6:19] He gave them his dust with his sword. God said, I'm in charge. I can set up kings and take down kings and even wicked rulers serve at my command. God might use them to punish or accomplish his purposes, but it's God.
[6:33] At all times, all around the world, it's God. God told what was going to happen before it ever happened. Look at Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 4. He's still setting us up.
[6:44] He said, Isaiah 41 verse 4, he said, who hath wrought and done? Who did this? Calling the generations from the beginning. He said, you realize who I am? I'm the first and I'm the last.
[6:56] I am he. I am he. I am the beginning. I am the end. I'm the alpha. I'm the omega. I'm the beginning. And I am the end. God. But they make their gods.
[7:08] Go down to Isaiah 41 6. Isaiah 41 6. They encouraged each other against the God of heaven. Look at what it says. Isaiah 41 says, they helped everyone his neighbor. And everyone said to his brother, be of good courage.
[7:22] Be encouraged. Be encouraged. Be of good courage. They said, it's best not to believe in the God of the Bible. Best not to believe in the God of the Jews. They're afraid. They hate God. And they're all trying to talk and encourage each other.
[7:35] I think that's what lost people do. I think they love evolution. Want to talk it up real good because they don't want to admit there's a God. I think they want to talk up humanism because if they can talk it up enough and get encouraged enough and get excited enough, they think that they can get rid of it.
[7:48] But they can't. And so they all got encouraged. Look what they did in verse 7. Isaiah 41 7. He said, so the carpenter, he encouraged the goldsmith. And he smoothed with the hammer him that smote the anvil saying, it's ready for the soldering.
[8:03] And he fashioned it with nails that it should not be moved. So they got together and said, we need a God. And the carpenter said, I can build it, but I need your help. So we're going to encourage each other.
[8:14] We'll cover it with gold. And we'll make it look real pretty. And we'll solder it. And we'll nail her down. Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 11. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed.
[8:28] Every false god comes out ashamed. They give no comfort. They die. They have no answers. They have no answers.
[8:38] So God kind of starts this banter with the gods. I love it in the Bible how God likes to say, if you're a God, prove it. I can prove it. I love the confrontation of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
[8:50] He said, well, if you guys got such a great God, go ahead and talk to your gods. Get them to do something. And so they spend all day long. And then when it gets time for Elijah to get up there, Elijah says, y'all ain't got enough of a trial here for my God.
[9:03] Pour some water on that baby. That's not enough. Pour more water on that baby. And then in English, you praise like 50 words and boom, it's done. Because he is God. Look at you in Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 21.
[9:14] Produce your cause, says the Lord. Bring forth your strong reasons, saith the king. If your gods are God, let them prove it. Let them tell us what's going to happen.
[9:25] Let us tell us what the future is going to be like. Do the false gods know the future? Look at Isaiah 41, 22. Let them bring forth and show us what shall happen. Tell us what's going to happen.
[9:36] I tell you what's going to happen because I'm God. And I'm the beginning and the end. And I know it all. And I can tell you. Let's see. Let them tell us. Let them show the former things what they be. That we may consider them.
[9:48] And know the latter end of them. Or declare us things to come. Hey, bring up your false god. Here, bring him up. Set him up here. There he is. Set him up. All right, false god. Talk to us. Tell us the beginning.
[10:00] Tell us him. I can do all that. You can't do anything? Oh, they soldered you. Nailed you. And fastened you. You can't do anything. And Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 23.
[10:12] He said, prove your God. Show the things that are to come hereafter. That we may know that you are gods. If you're going to say you're a god, give me a reason to believe you're a god. Yay.
[10:23] Do something. Do good or evil. Do something. Do good or evil. That we may be dismayed and beholded together. But you are nothing. And your work is worthless.
[10:36] And it is empty. It's an abomination to even choose you. God's like, there's only one God. I'm the God that's been around forever.
[10:47] I'm the God that's made everything that's ever been made. I'm the creator God. And I know what's going to happen tomorrow. And by the way, I know how it all got started. I know how it all got started.
[10:57] I was there and I'm there. And all of that going on at the same time. God made his people instead of them making him. Look at you in Isaiah 41, 8. But thou Israel, you are my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, my friend.
[11:15] Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and called thee from the chief men that have been said unto thee, thou art my servant. I have chosen thee and not cast thee away. You understand what's going on here?
[11:26] They chose their God. They went out and they made them a little God. They made him look like they wanted him to. They put the gold on him. They made him look like they wanted him. And God said, yeah, you made a God, but I picked you.
[11:37] Y'all went down to the store to buy you a God. I mean, you're down at the God store. You're walking around the God store saying that one's on sale this week. I think I'll take that God. He said, y'all picked you a God, but I picked you.
[11:49] I'm bigger. They don't need to be afraid of their enemies. God's the big one. Here comes the enemy. God's the big one. Isaiah 41, 10. Fear thou not.
[12:01] I'm with you. Fear thou not. I am with thee. Don't be dismayed. Don't be alarmed. Don't be afraid. Don't faint. I am your God. I will strengthen you.
[12:13] I will help you. I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. You may not know this, but it takes quite a few people to carry God down the street.
[12:24] I've seen it done many times. It takes quite a few people to carry him around and help him move about. They need to make sure he's well soldered and well fastened.
[12:36] God said, that's backwards. That's what God said. He goes, that's backwards. You got to take care of him. I'll take care of you. Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 12.
[12:49] Thou shalt seek them and shall not find them. He's going to get rid of their enemies. You will look for them and you won't find them. They that war against thee shall be as nothing, as a thing of naught.
[13:02] I will take care of your enemies. I am the everlasting God. I'm the one who picked you. I'm the one who made you. I'm the one who strengthens you. They go in and pray to their gods and psych themselves out.
[13:15] You don't have to do that. I am a true God. They do not need to be afraid. Verse 13. I, the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not, I will help thee.
[13:28] Where they're carrying their gods and being very careful that God doesn't fall and making sure nothing happens. God says, you don't have to hold on to me. I'll hold on to you.
[13:39] You don't have to encourage me. I'll encourage you. You don't have to make sure I'm okay. I'll make sure you're okay. Verse 14. Fear not, thou worm, Jacob.
[13:52] I'm sorry. There are just some verses that are just plain humorous. I mean, I just want you to think of God talking to Jacob saying, you're a worm, buddy. I mean, a worm. You're just like low nothing. In other words, the other people made God, so they're bigger than their gods.
[14:05] If you can make a God, you're bigger than your God. But if God makes you, he looks at you and says, you don't need to be too worried about this. I am so big, you're like a little worm to me. Thou worm, you men of Israel, I will help you, says the Lord, thy Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel.
[14:23] He said, I will help you. You are incapable. You can't do it. But I will do it. Isaiah chapter 40 started off. If you noticed when you started Isaiah chapter 40 a few weeks ago, it said, comfort you, comfort you, my people.
[14:37] My people, comfort yourselves knowing this. I am God. I am God. You will glory in God and his power. That's what we glory in.
[14:48] Do you know when we come together in a church service here, we're all excited and praising God and thanking God. But you know why we're praising God and thanking God? Not because we got baptized and not because we did good stuff and not because we've been good all week.
[15:00] We come in here going, whoa, I cannot believe you love me. I am a worm. I am nothing. I need you. That's what we're saying. Chapter 41, verse 16.
[15:13] Thou shalt fan them and the wind shall carry them away. The whirlwind shall scatter them. And you will end up rejoicing in the Lord and glorying in the Holy One of Israel.
[15:24] I wanted to have John and Sandy and Betty and some of the others tell you about Israel. And we hadn't had time to do that. Things just seemed to be flying. Maybe we'll get them around soon. It was kind of funny.
[15:35] We were standing on this big wide wall. And what's outside, what had been outside the temple, the wall of Jerusalem back then. And the guy tells us, this is where Sennacherib came to, right out there.
[15:47] And this is where Sennacherib reached up and yelled at them and told them, I'm taking you guys out. And they said, we know that Sennacherib existed because they found the brass plates where he wrote his story.
[15:57] And he told all the stories that's found in the Bible except one. He left off the story of his trip to Jerusalem. Of course, in Jerusalem, God dropped 180,000 of his men out in the field.
[16:08] And they didn't do anything. And the guy said, kind of funny, he probably didn't want to write in the annals of his history. I got the fire beat out of me up there. Because God's big. Comfort you.
[16:20] Comfort you. He's big. He's the creator God. He owns it. He's the everlasting God. And they are glorying the God of Israel. They didn't go around glorying. We got a champion.
[16:31] We got the best aircraft. We got the best army. We got the best strength. We're the strongest men. They walked around saying, we got God. That's how we win. They didn't walk around saying, did you see our proudness?
[16:42] Did you see how smart our general is? He said, you'll walk around glorying in the Holy One. Because God meets needs. Look at Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 17.
[16:54] When the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue fails for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them. I, the Lord of Israel, will not forsake them.
[17:05] I will not abandon them. I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but if it's that bad, thirsty wise, you probably leave the God on the side and march on without him. You're like, but we're tired of carrying you.
[17:16] You can't carry your own weight. We're carrying you. But the God of heaven says, not to carry me. Y'all get thirsty. Call on me. I hear prayer and I answer prayer. I'm God. I'm the creator God.
[17:28] I'm the everlasting God. Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 20. That they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of God, the hand of the Lord had done this.
[17:42] And the Holy One of Israel hath created it. I want them to know I'm God. There's a clash going on right now. Is he real?
[17:53] Is the God of the Bible still real? Does he still have power? And if you'd go talk to Isaiah right now, Isaiah would say, glory in the Lord. Comfort yourselves in the middle of everything that goes on. You serve a great God.
[18:05] And that great God knows what's going to happen tomorrow. In Isaiah 41, 26, who had declared from the beginning that we may know before that we may say he is righteous.
[18:16] Yeah, there's none that shows. There's none that declares. There's nobody knows all this stuff. Only the great God of the Bible. So here's what Isaiah 41 kind of ends with.
[18:29] It's saying this. There's one God. Only one. You say, why do we send so many missionaries? Because there's only one God. There's only one God. All the other gods, somebody made up.
[18:41] All the other gods, our God came to us. And they made up a God and tried to get to God. And Isaiah chapter 41 and verse 29, here's how it ends. They are all vanity.
[18:53] Line up all you gods. Give me the biggest laying down sleeping voodoo you can find. Give me every other God from around the world. And I will say to you, worthless.
[19:05] Worthless. And then I will say to you, their works are nothing. They can't do anything. But I'm God.
[19:16] That's what our God says. And he says, and their molten images are wind and confusion. Can I leave you with something out of Isaiah 41 tonight? You need to go home and know this. There's only one God.
[19:27] And he is the God who knew there was a circle for any human being ever figured it out. He is the God that knew everything about science before anybody else figured it out. He's the God that could tell Moses what to do in the wilderness that scientists would need thousands of years to figure out because he is God.
[19:41] When you hold in your hands a book written by that person, his book out of his mind for us to read and understand, he's God. There's no one else like him anywhere in the world.
[19:53] That's why Timmy needs to go to South Africa. That's why a camp needs to be started. That's why people need to be reached for the gospel. That's why the work of God needs to be done. That's why people need to be reached for the gospel.