[0:00] Take your Bibles, if you would, and go with me to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 10. Tonight you're going to hear a little bit about the lion and the lamb laying down and all of that. And also we're going to talk about some mighty big lessons God wanted his people to learn.
[0:16] In Isaiah chapter 10, 11, God's kind of ending up a little bit of Isaiah's tirade. He's been preaching against the people. He's getting them set up for when salvation, that's chapter 12.
[0:28] That's what we'll see, Lord willing, on Wednesday night. And that salvation is not a salvation of getting to heaven. It was a salvation of God working in their life, God getting them out of captivity and back to land.
[0:40] It's definitely a picture of salvation, but that's what it was about. And he ends this part of the Bible up and he says what's happening is he has used Assyria. So God is so big that he takes over countries.
[0:53] And countries are moving and doing things and they think they're moving and doing things. But God said, you're not doing it, I'm doing it. You're not making these decisions, I'm making these decisions.
[1:05] I am a big God and I can do anything I want to do all across this planet. And the big lesson to learn tonight is how big our God is.
[1:16] And to learn that this world is still under control, that God still knows what he's doing, that God is going to win, and that God is going to have victory, that's going to happen.
[1:27] Whether you admit he's there or not, whether you believe he's moving or not, he is moving and he has an agenda. And he is ending up this series of preaching against all the stuff going on, preaching against the sins of Judah.
[1:40] Now he's going to talk to Assyria because they're doing wrong and we're going to come into a great time. There's some big lessons here. Go with me if you would to Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 15. I just picked this verse because it's one of the bigger lessons for us.
[1:53] Because we tend to be, as Christians, we tend to be braggadocious. We tend to be, I am the guy doing the work of God. And so missionaries are, whoa, I am a missionary and I am preaching and I am doing this.
[2:08] And givers, I am giving money. And servers, I am serving. And we begin to think somehow that we're bigger than we are. And so in Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 15, he said, Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?
[2:23] King James English, here comes Tennessee, he'll be English. Do you think an axe has any right to talk to the guy using the axe and say he's doing it? Do you think an axe could really just look up at the guy? It's like cartoons, you know.
[2:34] I thought of Maria Morgan and her books and lawnmowers that talk to you. And so if you, Maria could write one with this and the axe just looked up and said, Am I doing a good job or not? Am I not the fanciest axe you ever had?
[2:45] Don't I cut wood better than anybody? And he said, Do you really, are you that dumb that an axe can talk to a person and tell them they're doing the work? Or shall the saw, shall the saw magnify itself against him that shakes it?
[2:58] You really expect, you know, these are crosscut type saws. I know you had never seen one. You don't even know what a saw is except a circular saw. But in the old days we had these saws that you pull back and forth.
[3:08] And he said, The saw is going to brag about it doing something? Or is the staff, the piece of wood you carry in your hand, is going to say to you, I'm not wood and I'm important and watch me do stuff.
[3:19] You know, that's not happening. So one of the big mistakes, all the big mistakes that we're going to look at really come down to this. You don't think there's a God. And you think you're something. And you've got things kind of reversed because God's a lot bigger and you're a lot smaller than you think you are.
[3:33] Let me take you to the first one. I'll give you seven of them, Lord willing. If you would look at Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 16. The first one I want you to realize is you can't mistreat people and get away with it.
[3:44] Why don't you write that down somewhere. You can't mistreat people and get away with it. This one's actually not against Assyria. It was against the people of Judah and Israel. It was against religious people.
[3:55] It was against business people. It was against people in the country that had been doing wrong. Because the reason the nation of Israel, the reason that Judah has been taken into captivity in Assyria and Babylon.
[4:07] The reason that happened was the sin in the lives of the people. And God's like, you guys are doing wrong. And when you love me, you're supposed to do right. When you love me, you're supposed to do right. When you don't do right, I will bring consequences on you.
[4:19] You do wrong, you will pay for doing wrong. Every Christian ought to learn that too. Amen. Can I just say to you, you're saved by grace, but if you think that means you can play with sin and not get burned, you are very ignorant.
[4:31] If you think that because we're saved by grace that we live any way we want to. If you think because we're saved by grace we ought to play with and dabble in sin, you are a fool.
[4:42] You are that Nabal. Read with me if you would Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 16. For the leaders of this people caused them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.
[4:52] Now that's back from another message. But what's happening is in chapter 10, he's fussing at the people, and he starts out with the religious people. And he is angry. Woe unto them to decree unrighteous decrees and right grievances which they have prescribed.
[5:07] He's angry about the way they treat the rich people, treat the poor people, and the needy in verse 2. He said, you abuse the poor people that I have. You abuse the widows and the fatherless.
[5:17] You mistreat people, and if the gospel does anything, it tells me how to love people and treat people right. Can I get an amen right there? If the gospel does anything, it tells me the nation of Israel should have known that.
[5:29] Here's a sad commentary. Pastors abuse people. Spiritual leaders abuse people. They abuse people with the prosperity gospel. They abuse people by being mean to people, just to be blunt and honest with you.
[5:44] And someday out in the future when this church gets one of those pastors that just feels like he gets to jerk everybody around and pull on chains and act like he's better than a regular church member, I hope you just remind him God don't like people mistreating weak people and little people.
[5:57] Say amen. And pastors often get that problem. But the passage in chapter 10, verses 1, 2, more about business people, isn't it? It's about those of us that have a little bit of money taking advantage of those that don't have money.
[6:08] It's about us abusing people. It's about us mistreating poor people. It's about us not caring for them. I don't have time to go into it, but Israel had built into all of their teaching, you take care of the widows.
[6:19] You take care of the fatherless. You take care of the poor because my country, my people won't be like regular people. And can I just say to you, we're born again. We're not like regular people.
[6:30] You ought not ever think like an American. You ought never think like an American. You do, you might think that abortion's okay. But if you're a Christian, you don't think like that. We don't kill little babies. You know, Americans might think it's okay to mess around with another person's wife.
[6:46] But we're Christians. We don't do that. Can I get an amen? Number two, don't think you're doing the work. Don't think you're doing the work. Amazingly, the problem is going to happen here is that Assyria is going to have an ego and a maniac, egomaniac attitude.
[7:03] And Assyria is going to be like, I am big and I am accomplishing things and I am doing things. And God's going to say to Assyria, no, you're not. Read with me if you would, Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 9.
[7:14] And you need to underline because that's getting towards the verse we read to start with. Oh, Assyrian, underline, the rod of mine anger and the staff in my hand. Oh, Assyria, the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.
[7:29] See, God wanted Israel dealt with. Israel had sinned and Israel needed to suffer. And so God raised up Assyria and he's like holding a paddle in his hand.
[7:39] And the paddle's name's Assyria and Assyria comes over and gives a spanking to Judah. And they're getting that spanking and he's telling Assyria, by the way, Assyria, you're not so big.
[7:51] I'm the one that's got you in my hand. I'm the one doing the work. Look, if you would, at chapter 10 and verse 6. He's using them to punish the hypocrisy of the nation.
[8:02] I will send them against a hypocritical nation. Look at that. And God will judge his people. God does judge us. The Bible says in verse 11, As I have done unto Samaria and her idols so due to Jerusalem and her idols.
[8:16] Just because God uses us to do something, though, we can never believe it's our work. What's Assyria's problem? Assyria's problem is she looks up at God and says, Check me out.
[8:27] I am doing this. It is my power. So look if you would at chapter 10 and verse 12. Wherefore shall it come to pass as when the Lord hath performed his whole work? And he says, Upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks.
[8:45] You, you're getting real cocky there. And you're thinking you whipped upon Israel. But Israel's my people. I'll deal with Israel. But I'll deal with you if you think you have a right to deal with my people.
[8:56] Because you don't have that right. And that's when in chapter 10 and verse 15 he said, What are you doing, Acts? What are you doing, bragging like you have done something? What are you doing, Saul? What are you doing, Rod? It's me that's doing it.
[9:08] We get presumptuous in our ministry. Chapter 10 and verse 13. He said, By the strength of my hand I have done it. And my wisdom, and I am prudent, and I have removed the bounds of the people.
[9:19] And I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. Verse 14. My hand have found it, and I have gathered all in verse 14. So let's just stop just a second. Here's a mistake we make.
[9:31] And I've been very guilty of this. We begin to think, man, I'm preaching. I'm building churches. I'm getting people saved. I'm giving big money to make big things happen for God.
[9:43] I invested thousands of dollars. I raised thousands of dollars. I have really, I, I, I have really, I have, I, I, I have really. And God up in heaven looks down and says, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
[9:54] You ain't done diddly, son. This ain't you doing this. You didn't save Peruvians. You didn't start churches. You didn't start Vision Baptist Church. You didn't give the money to get this thing going.
[10:06] None of your people gave it. He said, I gave it. It's all mine. And I'm in charge. That's the lesson that we have to learn because it has to humble us so that we don't think, I'm in charge of this church, and I own this church, and I gave it.
[10:19] So don't think you're doing the work like Assyria thought she was. Number three, don't use God and his work to get what you want. Don't use God and his work to get what you want.
[10:30] In the story, you got to understand Assyria hates all other countries. Assyria wants to conquer everybody else, and she wants to be the big and powerful country.
[10:41] And so the fact that God let her whip upon Israel, she's like, I like it. I like it. I am glad God's letting me do this, and so I'll just go ahead and squash her real good. I will always be in charge, and I will be something.
[10:53] Look at Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 7. Howbeit he means not so, neither does his heart think so, but it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off nations, not a few.
[11:05] So the nation of Assyria was like, man, we are a powerful nation. And man, we are knocking down people, and we are taking over, and we are really becoming something. And I'm telling you what, I'm on a roll.
[11:17] I'm on a roll here. I got her going. And God's like, no, no, no, no, no. I'm doing it, not you, and it never was for you. When I read it, I just thought about how we turn serving God into something selfish.
[11:32] We turn it into a prosperity gospel. We criticize the prosperity gospel people, but we kind of like, well, I'll serve God, but I expect him to. And I can get stuff too.
[11:43] And churches owe me a good salary, and churches owe me good support, and I'll give to God in my tithes and in my offerings, but he owes me good money. And it's like, I'm serving God because I want something.
[11:55] And that's when he said to Assyria, you've gone beyond what I want it done. You're wrong. Fourth lesson. God's not losing. He always has people. God's not losing.
[12:06] He always has people. Look, if you went to Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 20, the words I told you to always be looking for, remnant, remnant. In chapter 10, it's easy to think God's losing.
[12:20] Can you transport back with me just for a few minutes to the people of Jerusalem, the Israelites, people from Judah, and they're in captivity. They're in captivity. And they've been beaten, and they've been destroyed, and their country has been destroyed, and their walls are broken down, and their temples are broken down, and everything.
[12:37] They think about, boy, God's not coming through. God's not getting it done. Nobody loves God. Everybody's bad. But God's up in heaven saying, excuse me.
[12:48] So the prophet looks up at God and says, I'm the last one you got left. And God looks at the prophet and says, I got 7,000 more in it by the knee, buddy. You're not such big stuff as you think you are.
[12:59] And here we are in America. We're like, boy, America's gone to pot. We're the only good people left in this country. Things are really bad. I'm telling you, the Republicans are wicked. The Democrats are wicked. Every other church in the country is wicked.
[13:11] We're all God's got left. And here's what he says there. He says, I got a remnant. I got a remnant. Look, if you would, at Isaiah chapter 10 and verse 20. And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, the remnant of Israel.
[13:25] Now, if you got your Bible open, just underline some things if you would. They escaped of the house of Jacob. But guess what they do? They stay on the Lord. They were still believing God.
[13:37] Did you underline that in verse 20? But shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel in truth. Verse 21, they shall return. The remnant will, unto the mighty God.
[13:49] In verse 22, a remnant of them shall return. Return, God is not going to lose. He is God. He is mighty. He is victorious.
[14:00] There are people that are going to escape, stay on the Lord, and return to him. There's always some that will choose to serve and obey God in spite of what the majority are doing. So we don't follow the crowd to do sin. So let me real quickly say, you know, when I was a kid, it was a regular thing for my daddy to tell me I couldn't do stuff.
[14:18] All the other kids got to do it. There was a dance there. There was a party there. There was this or that there. And I would say, Dad, all the kids are getting together, and they're doing this. And my dad would say, well, you're not going. And I'd say, I don't get it.
[14:30] Everybody else is going. And he said, well, everybody else is going to hell, but I don't mean you have to. That was always his answer. I was like, I don't think they're all going to hell, Dad. I think that might be an exaggeration. But isn't it amazing how you want to be like the world and not the remnant?
[14:47] We ought to stay. I want to stay on the Lord. Number five. Number five, you need to learn to fear God and nobody else. That's going to be chapter 12.
[14:57] You've got to be here Sunday night. But chapter 12, you're going to learn. We don't need to be afraid. You need to learn to fear God and nobody else. Chapter 10 and verse 24. Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwell in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian.
[15:11] He might beat you up. Look at the verse. He might beat you with a rod, and he might lift his staff up against you, but it won't be long before I show who's in charge. Look at verse 25.
[15:22] Yet a little while. Underline that. Yet a little while. God said, hey, he may be doing stuff now, and you may think he's going to win, but mark her down, I'm fixing the move. Yet a little while.
[15:34] And then verse 26 says, and the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him. God said, oh, no. Oh, no. He won't be getting away with it. Now, watch this.
[15:44] It's easy to focus on Assyria and think Assyria is all powerful, and basically what God's telling them is stop looking at Assyria. Stop thinking about Assyria. Start thinking about me.
[15:55] I'm the one that's powerful. I'm in charge. I can stop Assyria. I'm using Assyria. Assyria, it's all about God and God's power. Here's what we do. We look up. We see the devil.
[16:07] We see sin. We see wickedness, and we start magnifying it. We're like, oh, my soul. The country's in trouble. Oh, my soul. All the country. All the churches. All the world. Oh, my soul. Things are horrible.
[16:18] And God's up in heaven saying, how can it be horrible? I'm still up here. Yet a little while. Watch what I do. Yet a little while. Watch what I do. God's up in heaven saying, I'm big.
[16:30] Stop it with being afraid of the people who can't do anything. Go with me, if you would, to Isaiah chapter 11. Here's what he said. Oh, I got a king coming.
[16:41] He said, y'all think you got it bad, but I got a king coming. And that king is Jesus. Look, if you would, at Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 1. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
[16:55] You see, what happened was the nation of Israel was being cut down, buddy. She is, like, destroyed. And it looks like she's gone. It looks like she's done for. I mean, the guy is counting. The however you count to before you say he's down and out, because I have no idea.
[17:08] Is it 10 or 3? I have no idea. But wherever he is, God's like, just hang on. Watch this. I'm coming back. He said, and out of the root, out of the cutoff stump, a branch is fixing to spring forth.
[17:21] A stem will come up. In verse 2, he'll have the spirit of the Lord. It's all about the Holy Spirit of God and all the things that are going to happen with him. And he said, that guy's coming. That guy's Jesus. Now, because the second time, just let me show you, if I could, in Acts chapter 13, Paul preached this text.
[17:37] So if some of you guys went to Bible college, you think you're so stinking smart. You're like, that's not about Jesus. That's in Isaiah. Well, Paul thought it was about Jesus. And so me and Paul will go against you, you and your Bible scholar.
[17:48] Look at verse 22, Acts 13, 22. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, over whom he gave testimony. I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, which shall fulfill my will.
[18:00] Of this man's seed hath the God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus. And that's about him. Revelation chapter 19, and by the whole, the Holy Spirit comes on Jesus when he starts his ministry.
[18:13] I don't have time. Revelation chapter 19, verse 11, John talks about him. He calls him the faithful and the true. And in righteousness, and his eyes are flame of fire, and he has many crowns, and his vestures dipped in blood.
[18:25] And his name is called the Word of God. In Revelation chapter 19, verse 15, a sharp sword goes out of his mouth. He will smite the nations, rule them with a rod of iron.
[18:35] And his clothing on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is coming back.
[18:46] God ain't lost. God's up in heaven saying, I got it all under control. In just a little bit, I'm sending Jesus. In just a little bit, I'm sending Jesus. In fact, in the next chapter, chapter 12, we're going to be in.
[18:58] You know what he's going to say? Salvation is here. You know who that is, don't you? That's the Messiah. You know who that is, don't you? That's the King. You know who that is? That's God coming through. It's easy to give up and think all is lost.
[19:11] But scripture teaches the opposite. He is God. He will rule and reign. Keep believing, keep serving, and keep waiting. Then there's a last mistake that you don't believe that he's going to radically change the world.
[19:25] So he says to them, if you would, go with me to 11.6. He says to them, now guys, this world's all messed up. Because I let you and your filthy sin run your course.
[19:36] And if y'all caught on to something, you mess up everything you touch. I mean, I don't care if it's Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden or Abraham leading the nation of Israel. I don't care if it's after I gave perfect law or after I gave a theocracy and I let men of God lead your country.
[19:51] You guys mess it all up. Because men always mess everything up. For men have sinned and failed God and there's nothing good in us, nothing we can do.
[20:01] It's just our great God. As he says in chapter 11 and verse 6, well, chapter 11 verse 1, he's sinning Jesus. And then he says, and I'm fixing to change the whole face of the earth. This is where the weird pictures came in it.
[20:13] Y'all made fun of. Chapter 11 verse 6, the wolf will dwell with the lamb. The leopard will lay down with the kid, the little goat. The calf and the young lion and the fatty calf, the little one that you raise it up and a little child will lead them.
[20:28] The cow and the bear will eat together. The young ones will lie down together. And the lion's going to eat straw. You bring out another, I grew up on a farm. My daddy, he said, give that horse a third of a bale of hay.
[20:42] I'd go out there and cut up some hay and toss it down to the horse's teeth. I'd give some hay and toss it down to the cow's teeth. Now you're going to, here's a lion. What do you do with a lion? You go kill a zebra. So the zookeeper from South Africa that I saw feed a zebra to a lion, and in China I saw him do it alive.
[20:57] I mean, they just let the calf go alive. And the calf, they threw the calf out of the back of the truck and it took off running. Here come them tigers and you could hear the meat ripping and see what they ate for breakfast. When they got through with them, he says, just give them a bale of hay.
[21:09] They'll be all right. That's not the world I live in. That's not the world I live in. And the suckling child, the little baby will play on the hold of the snakes. God's going to change everything when he takes back over and sets up this millennial kingdom.
[21:24] I thought this was interesting for all you little students, Spurgeon, believe the millennial kingdom. That's for you Calvinists. I thought I'd throw that to you. In Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 9, guess what else happened?
[21:35] In Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 9, the whole earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Check this out. In this day and time, Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 9, they shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain.
[21:48] Look at it. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Now don't call any of them people up in North South Carolina and ask them if the water can cover just more than the sea.
[22:00] Because it's fixing to cover their houses. Amen. He said, hey, the knowledge of the Lord, the knowledge of Jesus is going to be everywhere. He's going to set up a kingdom. The whole world's going to change. You'd have to be a dingbat not to figure out God is in charge.
[22:13] And God is doing big stuff. And he is God. Forty percent of the world have no idea who he is. Ninety percent probably have little knowledge of him. But in those days, the whole world will know.
[22:25] And the whole world will look to Jesus. Look at Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 10. And there shall be a root of Jesse. And look who's going to seek him. All the Gentiles, all the pagans, all the nations of the earth are going to go seeking Jesus.
[22:41] They don't seek him now. Nobody seeks him now. But they'll be seeking him according to Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 10. Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 11. It'll come to pass that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people and get them back out of Assyria.
[22:56] And he'll set up, verse 12, an ensign, a big flag for the nations. And he will assemble the outcast of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. So from the farthest reach of the earth, God's going to bring them Jews back.
[23:10] That hadn't happened yet. That hadn't happened yet. That's not what happened in 1948. That's not what's happening in Israel right now. But God said, I'm setting up a kingdom. I'm putting Jesus there. I'm going to change all of nature.
[23:21] And I'm bringing all my Jews home. They've been everywhere. In fact, as in Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 16, he said, I'll set up a highway for the remnant. I'll set up a way for them to get there quick, fast, and easy to get back to my place.
[23:34] He's in charge. He's in charge. I don't have to be all worried and scared about what's going to happen. He's in charge. He said, don't be afraid of Assyria. I move Assyria the way I want to move Assyria.
[23:47] You say Assyria's beating us, he said, oh, don't worry. Just a little bit. I'll get up and stick over that little deal. He did. Assyria's not bothering anybody right now. Not like they did when they were a world power. God's big. I can trust him.
[23:59] I can know him. I can know that he's alive and he's powerful and he's real and he's at work. All over this planet. There's a day coming when the whole world will be full of the gospel.
[24:10] But till then, till then, we share the gospel. Till then, we still have go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Till then, we have go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
[24:22] Till then, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, you shall receive power and you shall be witnesses unto me. In Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, in the uttermost part of the earth. I know he's in charge.
[24:34] By the way, I'll just go ahead and tell you, I'm already on the winning side. I'll just go ahead and tell you, I'm not the least bit worried about what's going to happen. So maybe Korea's coming this way. That'll be all right. I know who I'm serving.
[24:46] He's got me under control. He's got it all under control. If he does come over here, just because God needs to give us a good spanking and make us go back and look for Jesus like we ought to. Are you saved? Do you know you're going to go to heaven when you die?
[24:59] Do you know Jesus? Do you know the God of the universe? If you don't, tonight's your night. Amen.