[0:00] Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 1. I hope you enjoyed the Lord's Supper. I hope you enjoyed seeing somebody baptized. I hope you just enjoyed the Lord.
[0:11] And He is worthy. The song said He is worthy. I couldn't help but think the whole time, yeah, He is. I didn't know why you'd tell me. Congregations say He is. I was sitting there going, He is. If I wasn't about to sing it, because y'all all ran for the hills.
[0:24] Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 1. There is so much in this chapter, and our time is already flying by. But the chapter is about learning Bible truth, learning doctrine.
[0:37] In the world you live in, the Christian world, doctrine is like the least favorite thing people want to talk about. It's like we're supposed to love Jesus, but we don't need doctrine.
[0:49] In all honesty, if you've ever read your Bible, that's like the most idiotic statement you're ever going to hear. Because doctrine simply means teaching, and the Bible is teaching. And that's what it's all about.
[0:59] We'll look at that in just a minute. For the sake of time, I want to skip to Isaiah 28, 7. And I have a lot of verses I will not cover anywhere near what I have for you tonight. But I'm going to take my time and just show you something.
[1:12] Another problem is right now it is a popular thing among preachers to promote social drinking. That's a popular thing today. And I think when I hear that, I always think they must not have read much Bible yet.
[1:29] Because in the Bible, the picture from the very first time alcohol is used is a picture of drunkenness and shame. And, you know, you may disagree with me, but just read your Bible, all right?
[1:42] And then you can't disagree with whatever comes straight out of it. But the very first story in the Bible is Noah getting drunk and then cursing his own grandson. I mean, I'd hate to have something happen.
[1:53] I cursed my grandson over it and condemned him to a horrible life, which is a very twisted verse of Scripture. But still, the point was there was alcohol. Now you're in Isaiah 28, 7. And I really wish you'd open your Bible and just mark this.
[2:06] The Bible says in Isaiah 28, 7, Would you underline that verb or circle that verb or point an arrow towards that verb? They made mistakes because of wine.
[2:20] And through strong drink, they are out of the way. So you might underline out of the way. They have been drinking. They have made mistakes. And they've gotten off track.
[2:32] Who all has done that? The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink. You don't underline that. The priest and the prophet, the men of God, who are the ones that so eagerly are promoting that, a pastor of one of the largest churches in South Carolina about two years ago, had to step down.
[2:49] He was running. His church was like 15,000 or 20,000 people in attendance. And he had to step down because his leadership of his church said, you know, you're such an alcoholic drunkard is a Bible word that you've got to get out of the ministry.
[3:05] The priest and the prophet have erred, circle that word, through strong drink. And they are swallowed up of wine. I wish you'd just underline swallowed up. The problem with alcohol is it can look pretty in the glass and it can be enticing.
[3:20] But if you're not careful, it'll swallow you. You think you're swallowing it and it swallows you. I mean, I'm just reading the Bible. If you see that in the Bible, say amen. I know you're a little aggravated at me, but it's just what the Bible says.
[3:32] And then it says, they are swallowed up out of wine and they're out of the way through strong drink. They err in vision. They're messing up on what the Bible teaches, messed up on what God would have.
[3:44] They stumble in judgment because as they get alcohol in them, they don't make very wise decisions. Warren Wearsby said that Washington has three parties.
[3:55] It has the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and the drinking party after that. And now you wonder why they're stumbling in judgment. Verse 8.
[4:06] This verse is horrific. I didn't write this verse. I didn't put this in your Bible. The Bible says, for all tables. This is verse 8.
[4:17] So verse 8's context is verse 7. All tables are full of vomit and filthiness. There is no place clean. That's all I'm going to say about it.
[4:31] We just read two verses. But can I just warn you to be a little wiser? I know the popular thing is you can fart with girls as long as you don't have sex with them. I know the popular thing is you can drink as long as you don't get drunk.
[4:44] I know the popular thing is you can play with sin as long as you don't do too much sinning. But you don't get that from the book. From the book you get this desire to be holy. Holy. And we are not legalists here.
[4:57] You can say I am all you want. But all I do is go through the Bible. But this whole idea of just playing with sin is messing you up. It's going to mess your kids up. It's going to mess things up.
[5:08] We don't want to be those people. I cannot help if I read this. And I know what you're going to say. But they got drunk. Well I know probably did. But it doesn't say that. It just said that strong drink and the wine made them make mistakes.
[5:22] And the strong drink made them get out of the way. It even said they were swallowed up of wine. So you're going to say to me. But is it a sin to drink? And I'm going to say well I don't have a verse that says that. I don't have a verse that says a lot of things.
[5:34] But I'm in love with my Jesus enough. I don't want to do anything. It might mess stuff up. I don't need to stumble in my judgment. I don't need to stumble in my judgment. I don't need to err in my vision.
[5:45] And the last thing I want is a table full of vomit and filthiness. So there's no place clean. So you might be aggravated. But it's what the book says.
[5:56] You know I would be very careful if I were you. Don't let drugs in. Don't. Don't. You know. Just. I'm not a doctor. But they like to overdose you.
[6:08] And you like being overdosed. I mean just being. I'm not saying what you. If you need it. You know when I had the kidney surgery. I was hurting.
[6:19] And I wanted more drugs. Betty called the doctor. And the doctor said. He don't need more drugs. Tell me he don't need drugs. Tough up a little bit. That wasn't so bad.
[6:30] But Deanna Mize. Said. I had nine kids by C-section. I didn't whine like you do. I don't like her anymore. At all.
[6:44] But you know what happens. You. You. You. You. You. You like it. And then you get addicted. And you get messed up. And our young people are in schools. And they don't have to even be in a Christian school before porn starts playing with them.
[6:58] They don't have to be. They don't have to be in a public school before porn starts playing with them. They can be at your house. Believe me. I know. I have proof. They don't have to. They don't have to be with the wrong crowd.
[7:09] They'll figure out a way. Because the sin always likes to play with us. And as parents. We need to say. If God said such nasty stuff about it. Honestly. I mean. You read that right there. And then you go. Yeah. But he don't mind.
[7:22] Yeah. I know he said that they erred. And I know he said they got out of the way. And I know he said they stumbled in their judgment. I know he said they made mistakes in their vision. And I know he said the tables were full of vomit and filthiness. But it ain't that bad.
[7:33] You know. I just don't understand you. I'm just being blunt honest with you. I don't understand. I would be very careful. If I were you. Now go with me to Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 9. Now that everybody is mad.
[7:45] And I only have 14 minutes to have to stand up here while you look at me with those daggers. But look if you would at Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 9. See God's people didn't like being told simple truths.
[7:58] They didn't like being treated like children. They didn't like the way the preachers talked to them. So in Isaiah 28 and 9 they said. They said. Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine?
[8:09] They that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast. They're like. Man we don't appreciate the simple way you treat us. You know. We want something more.
[8:20] In Isaiah 28 and 11. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people. So God is going to come around. He's going to get them to hear the truth. He is going to get them to hear the truth.
[8:30] But they didn't want to hear the truth. So it was either too simple or too stammering of lips. In Isaiah 28 and 12 it said. This is the rest where you may cause the weary to rest. This is refreshing. Yet they would not hear.
[8:42] You need to underline that. In other words. These people are hearing truth. And it's good truth. It is truth that says. You may cause the weary to rest. This is refreshing. And they said. We don't care.
[8:53] We don't want to hear what God has to say. We don't want to hear what God has to say. So what they chose was lies over truth. Look at Isaiah chapter 28 verse 15.
[9:04] Because you have said we have made a covenant with death. And with hell are we in agreement. We got an agreement with hell. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through it. It shall not come to us. Bad stuff going to happen but not to us.
[9:16] For we made lies our refuge. You should underline that. Lord help me. You and your evolution. You made a lie your refuge. I'm just an evolved being.
[9:27] I know you didn't. Some people did. Made lies our refuge. Under falsehood have we hid ourselves. Like we got the word of God. But we choose over it. We prefer lies.
[9:39] We prefer falsehood. But nothing will stop God's judgment. Nothing will stop God's judgment. God is going to judge his people.
[9:50] Now let me just take you real quickly. Skipping a bunch here. But let's just go to this. Open your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 18. At least watch it on the screen up here. God's people in pride always want something more complicated than the Bible.
[10:05] They feel insulted that the preachers speak to them in such simple terms. And we're going to see that's a New Testament thing also. You see in this verse it's going to say precept on precept.
[10:17] And we read that and we think that's good. But what they were saying was we're tired of you treating us with nursery rhyme. One nursery rhyme after another nursery rhyme. Another one little truth after another little truth. Dump it on us.
[10:27] We can handle it. And Isaiah's like no you can't. You don't ever do what I tell you anyway. God gives you instruction and you ignore it. So don't even tell me that. So you get to the New Testament. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 18.
[10:39] The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. They hear that we believe Jesus is not on the cross so we can be saved. They say it's foolishness. We say it's the power of God to salvation.
[10:51] In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 22. The Greeks wanted wisdom. And Paul said but I'll preach Christ crucified. It may be a stumbling block to Jews and Greeks foolishness.
[11:02] But it's what I preach. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 1 Paul said. I could have come here with some fancy words for you guys. But I came not with excellency a speech or of wisdom. Because I made up my mind in verse 2.
[11:14] Not to know anything among you save Jesus. I only know one thing. Jesus. You want simple? Jesus. That's simple. Verse 3 he said I was a nervous wreck around you.
[11:24] In fear and weakness. And in fear and in much trembling. And in verse 4 when I spoke to you. It wasn't with enticing words of man's wisdom. I might not have had a PhD. I might not have had a degree that I knew stuff.
[11:37] But I had the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse 4. In the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith would not stand. Your faith wouldn't stand in what a man said.
[11:48] But your faith would stand in the power of God. We're not saved because you got a smart pastor. If that was the case we'd be in a heap of trouble. We're not saved because I know how to spin a nice story. We're saved because we just believe the book.
[12:00] We just believe Jesus. We just take a simple approach. That's what he said. We believe that. We need the simple truth of God's word. We need Bible doctrine.
[12:11] We just need what the Bible has to say. In this passage God's people mock the preachers. They say he's too repetitive. He's repetitious. It's more like nursery rhymes or fables.
[12:22] He teaches us as though we were little babies or small children. It's just too simple. It's so simple a kid could understand it. And we'd say amen.
[12:33] But the smart people don't think that's very good. I mean if you'd actually believe that God said let there be light and there was. That's just way too simple. I need a few billion years to get that worked out.
[12:43] I need something wise people could accept and wise people could believe. Oh it was nothing new today that nobody respects preachers. In 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 10 they said about Paul that his letters were weighty and powerful.
[12:56] But in his bodily presence he was weak and his speech was contemptible. We don't like Paul. And we don't like his person. It's too simple.
[13:07] I'd just real quickly like to show you that doctrine is not a dirty word. Unless you separate it from truth. This is all Bible. New Testament.
[13:18] You've already heard a message out of this chapter. Look at Matthew chapter 7 and verse 28. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings the people were astonished at his. Would you circle that word in your Bible?
[13:30] At his doctrine. You know when Jesus spoke he spoke doctrine. You can't reject doctrine without rejecting the one who gave us the doctrine. Jesus gave us doctrine.
[13:42] The early apostles gave us doctrine. In Acts chapter 5 and verse 8. Did not we straightly command you that you shall not teach in this name. But you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.
[13:54] See it was precept on precept. Line on line. It was Isaiah. It was teaching the people little by little. Because that's how we need to learn. Bible doctrine speaks of the great truths of our great God and of his great book.
[14:10] By the way. Everything is a doctrine. Everything by the way guys. Everything. When I talked to you about alcohol just now I was giving you a doctrine. A teaching. I was telling you to just read this verse. And you know can I just ask you to do something that would seriously help you?
[14:24] Why don't you get your computer or get you a sheet of paper. And you look up every time alcohol is used in the Bible. Every time wine is used in the Bible. You find how it's used. I mean I've done that. So I already got a good idea.
[14:35] I gave you my idea. The first mention. That's a rule in the Bible. Find out how it got used the first time. See if God liked it or disliked it. When he started the story and just followed all the way through the Bible. See how he feels about it. Why don't you do that? That's what doctrine is.
[14:46] It's finding out what God says. Everything we believe is a doctrine. It's a teaching. And bad teaching leads to horrible conclusions.
[14:59] Nazi Germans could kill Jewish people. Because they taught them long enough. That the Jewish people weren't human. They were vermin. And the people honestly got to a point.
[15:10] They believed the Jewish people weren't people. In America we got so far that we thought people could be slaves. And we could hold them and treat them as less than human.
[15:23] As though they had no soul. You know how that happened don't you? Bad teaching. Bad teaching. Sad to say. Southern pastors and preachers were in on it.
[15:35] I'll give you another bad doctrine. Babies can be aborted. They're not human. They say that's bad teaching. You get bad doctrine. You get people to believe anything if you do not have a foundation.
[15:46] But we have a foundation. We have the word of God. We have truth. False truth can be taught to make people turn out to be cannibals. Some people in the world are hungry while cows walk their streets.
[16:02] But they can't eat the cow because it could be their relative. Somebody taught them that. They can't kill the mouse that's eating their grain because somebody taught them they can't kill that. They couldn't hurt a flea.
[16:13] Somebody taught that. So when you read Isaiah 28 and you see precept on precept and line on line and we're to teach the word of God. You need to understand a church is a flat out teaching institution.
[16:28] That's who we are. That's what we are. Matthew chapter 28 verse 19. Our verse. My verse. A verse I'm going to use all the time. The Bible says go ye therefore and.
[16:39] Could somebody tell me the word? Go ye therefore and teach all nations. In chapter 28 verse 20 it says teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you.
[16:50] You know what we are don't you? Teachers. Everybody in this room ought to be a teacher. Every daddy ought to walk into his house and say I've got to sit you down. I've got to do some teaching right now. Every mom ought to sit her daughter down and sit her other children down and say I've got some teaching to do.
[17:04] All the older women in our church ought to be teaching the younger women. All the older men ought to be teaching the younger men. We ought to be teaching in discipleship. We ought to be teaching in Sunday school because we know truth. And when you know truth you're responsible to teach truth.
[17:20] The church is a teacher of truth. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. If I tarry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.
[17:32] Which is the church of the living God. The pillar and ground of the truth. That's a two hour message right there.
[17:44] Do you understand what he said? He said Timothy I need to teach you. I'm not not get there in time. And you're getting together with the church people. And when you get together with the church people you need to know how to act when you're in there. You need to know what to do when you're in there.
[17:55] And so here's what you need to do. You need to know the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. You walk in here we're going to say here's some rock solid fundamental truths you need to learn.
[18:06] We're going to teach you about Jesus. We're going to teach you about heaven. We're going to teach you about hell. We got the word of God. If you had the word of God wouldn't you want to know about it?
[18:18] Look at what it says in 1 Timothy chapter 4. He's talking to him. 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 13. He says that till I come give attendance to reading. To exhortation.
[18:30] And to doctrine. You know what the reading was there don't you? They didn't have Bibles in their home. They had scrolls you know. And they didn't everybody couldn't afford a scroll. So when they came to church it was kind of like that stuff happening back there in Nehemiah chapter 8.
[18:42] They got everybody standing there and they said y'all just listen up. We'll read you the scriptures. Because we really don't need to know what old Timothy thinks. We just need Timothy to tell us what God thinks. And by the way the Bible's written contrary to what the wise people of the world tell you.
[18:56] The Bible's written where you can't understand it. I'm not saying that you couldn't study better and learn better. You couldn't look up words and know better. And I'm not saying that some of the readings aren't hard when we go across them. But if you spend enough time you can figure out what it says.
[19:10] I don't mean it's ugly but it's not that hard a book. I'm not trying to belittle the Bible. I'm just trying to say you've been lied to. So you don't go to the book because you think the book's not that good.
[19:21] But he was told to give attention to reading. Just read it to them. Just read it to them. Just read the book to them. I don't need to read the book to you quite so much. We don't need to come here for three hours of Bible reading. Because y'all need to get that in every week yourself.
[19:34] You've got time all week. Read it. Read the book. Then he said to doctrine. Exhortation. Challenge them and motivate them. Then doctrine. Then chapter 4 verse 16. He said take heed to yourself and unto doctrine.
[19:46] Unto doctrine. Learn what the Bible teaches, Tim. You want to do a good job down at the church. Learn what the Bible teaches and teach it. It is 6 o'clock.
[19:58] But I will read you the verses where all this comes from. Go with me back to Isaiah 28.10. We come as little children. And we learn little by little. Some of you are like frustrated because you know you've read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus.
[20:11] And at Leviticus you stop every year. And then you say I can't understand everything. You don't have to understand it. Just keep reading. Now listen to what I'm going to tell you. Just because you don't understand it.
[20:24] The main reason you don't understand it is you haven't read it enough. You say well I read it and didn't get nothing out of it. Well good. Read it again. I came down to. I'm over time here. But that's all right.
[20:34] I still got counseling to go. I came down to. I came to work at a church that ordained me. And I was in management in a large grocery chain.
[20:47] And the pastor said would you rather be in full time work? And I said yeah. And he said well find out what the least amount you can make is. And it worked out to be less than half of what I was already making. But I said I could get my own head and starve.
[20:57] He said I'll get you as much as I can above it. Not one penny above it. Churches and pastors tend to not do very good at taking care of them. And he didn't take very good care. And he said now I've got English, Bible, and math.
[21:09] I said look I'd like to teach Bible. I said just to be honest with you my English isn't all that great. I could get by in English if you had to have an English teacher. But do not put me in math.
[21:20] So I showed up on the day of orientation for the teachers. And he said I'd like to introduce y'all to Mr. Gardner. He's our new math teacher. And I looked at him and I said I got it.
[21:33] That's a mistake. And he said it's a Christian school around here. Just go with it. And I said what do you want me to do? He said go home and read the book. So I went home and I read. I found all the answers. I got prepared for that first lesson.
[21:44] I was scared of it. And I went and I said today we're dealing with integers. And one of the guys his name is Matt Brown. Smart Alec Punk. He goes Mr. Gardner you wouldn't be talking about integers would you?
[21:59] I said probably. We'll go with that pronunciation. I got pretty good at that stuff. You work at it. You can understand stuff. You ain't as dumb as the devil. Won't you think you are?
[22:11] You can understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit will teach you. Isaiah 28.10. Precept must be upon precept. Precept upon precept. Line upon line.
[22:21] Here a little and there a little. Verse 13. The word of the Lord was unto them. Precept upon precept. Precept upon precept. Line upon line. Line upon line. Here a little and there a little.
[22:33] That they might fall and go back. Backward and be broken and snared and taken. It's the word of God. And I know you read through the Bible. You say I don't get much.
[22:43] Well just get a little every day. Find one part of one small verse you understand. Write something down. If you don't get anything else right. I didn't get anything. Here and come find somebody at the church. That's going to help you find something from that day.
[22:54] Learn a little. Little by little. Precept on precept. Line on line. Here a little and there a little. And you'll get where you understand the Bible. I've seen people who knew no Bible learn a ton of Bible.
[23:06] I've seen people who I literally started out with by saying to them. These little numbers are verses and these big numbers are chapters. And this one book has 66 books in it.
[23:16] And then it has two divisions in the big book. One called Old and one called the New Testament. And a year later they were like scholars. I told them would you. I'd like to see you read three chapters and we get started.
[23:27] They come back the next day and said I read all the way from Matthew to John. And I got questions. I said well y'all ain't American are you? You tell an American to read Matthew three chapters.
[23:39] American says I couldn't get through them. I couldn't get through them genealogy things. Come on. Tell the truth. Why don't you commit to be a student. To sit at his feet.
[23:51] Every day. And learn the word of God. Don't miss church services where it's preached. Listen like your life depends on it. Ask questions and make sure you understand.
[24:03] Apply what you learn. And quit hiding in lies and excuses. Anybody. Anybody. Who says anything about how this book's out of date.
[24:14] They're either ignorant. A liar. Or just plumb stupid. Because you can't read this book and think that. I promise you. I promise you. When.
[24:26] I don't ever do this. Just give me a chance. Oh. A slave. Who had been a slave. In Virginia for 28 years. And.
[24:38] He'd been reading the Bible. But he couldn't hardly understand. Because he was ignorant. He hadn't been given an opportunity to learn. And when. When they read in the Bible. They read about a savior. And then Abraham Lincoln freed him.
[24:49] He said I think that was about Abraham Lincoln. We're finally free. We're finally free. We're talking about the salvation. We're talking about the Old Testament. He found. He knew he could understand enough to know some things. Why don't you try to read the Bible.
[25:00] By the way. Why don't you give your kids an appetite for the book. Why don't you sit down with your kids. And make them love the book. Because to be blunt truth. Everybody in America loves Jesus. They don't love the Bible. That means they don't love Jesus.
[25:10] You can't love Jesus. You can't love Jesus if you don't love his book. But. Luigi. You can't love Jesus if you don't love his book. You can't love Jesus if you don't love his book.
[25:22] You can't love Jesus if you don't love his book.