WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.620 Good morning, church. Would you turn with me to Isaiah chapter 46? 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:12.000 Isaiah 46, if you're feeling burdened and weary this morning, then I hope this passage is going 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:18.280 to be a comfort for you. That's page 568 in the Pew Bible. I believe we'll have it on the screens 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:23.100 as I read it in just a minute, but let me encourage you to have it open before you as we look at this 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:31.800 text together. Let me pray as you turn there, and then I'll read for us. There are gods before you, 00:00:31.900 --> 00:00:40.020 no other loves. Lord, what freedom it would be for us and what joy it would be for us to 00:00:40.020 --> 00:00:46.920 have an undivided heart that loves and fears you alone. So help us now through your word 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:56.660 to be sanctified in that way. Purify our hearts, God, we pray as we come to your word. Teach us, 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:04.480 instruct us, change us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, Isaiah 46. I'm going to read the 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:13.560 whole chapter for us, starting in verse 1. Bell bows down, Nebo stoops. Their idols are on beasts and 00:01:13.560 --> 00:01:20.159 livestock. These things you carry are born as burdens on weary beasts. They stoop. They bow down 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:26.560 together. They cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity. Listen to me, 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:32.800 O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been born by me from before your 00:01:32.800 --> 00:01:41.879 birth, carried from the womb. Even to your old age, I am he, and to gray hairs, I will carry you. 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:48.599 I have made, and I will bear, I will carry, and will save. 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:54.539 To whom will you liken me and make me equal and compare me that we may be alike? 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:59.280 Those who lavish gold from the purse and weigh out silver in the scales hire a goldsmith, 00:01:59.399 --> 00:02:05.179 and he makes it into a god. Then they fall down in worship. They lift it to their shoulders. They 00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:12.560 carry it. They set it in its place, and it stands there. It cannot move from its place. If one cries 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:19.599 to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. Remember this and stand firm. Recall it 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:25.080 to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other. 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:31.460 I am God, and there's none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:36.860 things not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:40.939 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. 00:02:41.379 --> 00:02:49.240 I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass. I have purposed, and I will do it. Listen to me, 00:02:50.200 --> 00:02:56.480 you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness. I bring near my righteousness. 00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:06.339 It is not far off, and my salvation will not delay. I will put salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:14.459 Well, sometimes in order to really see something, it helps to see it by way of contrast. 00:03:15.839 --> 00:03:23.419 Mount Everest is apparently over 29,000 feet high. Of course, that's incredibly high. It's hard to even 00:03:23.419 --> 00:03:31.000 wrap our minds around how high that is, but contrast that with the tallest skyscraper in the world, 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:37.039 the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is like 2,700 feet tall. Has anyone here been to Dubai and seen 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:42.879 this thing? Oh, yes, the Daniels have. That's almost twice as high as the Empire State Building, 00:03:43.060 --> 00:03:47.699 okay? That's how big that building is. Can you imagine a skyscraper nearly twice as tall as the 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:53.599 Empire State Building? That's really tall, but that tallest skyscraper in the world in Dubai, 00:03:54.179 --> 00:04:02.639 that highest building that human ingenuity and skill can muster, it's not even one-tenth the height 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:11.259 of Mount Everest. Sometimes in order to really see something, it helps to see it by way of contrast, 00:04:11.259 --> 00:04:18.920 contrast. And that's what Isaiah 46 is doing. Isaiah 46 is trying to help us see something 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:26.699 by way of contrast. Now, this whole section of Isaiah, chapters 40 through 55, God has been trying 00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:33.659 to speak a word of comfort to His people, comfort to them in their trials, comfort to them in their 00:04:33.660 --> 00:04:42.000 failings. But to really see and receive this comfort, here the Lord's going to help them see it by way of 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:48.180 contrast. Contrast, that is, with the idols, with the other so-called gods prevalent in their day. 00:04:49.140 --> 00:04:55.940 Here is a God who can do what no idol can do. The Empire State Building, the Burj Khalifa, yes, 00:04:55.939 --> 00:05:05.399 they might look tall, impressive even, but they're no Mount Everest. Now, what is it that the Lord wants 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:11.480 us to see? What comfort is He trying to help us understand? Well, the key word here is burden. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:17.199 Burden. The word comes up again and again in chapter 46. You see it right off the bat in the first two 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:25.720 verses. Burden, the idea of a heavy weight, a load to bear. The audience of Isaiah 40 through 55, 00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:33.920 we're dealing with the exile as a burden, this burden of exile. Perhaps the darkest moment in 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:39.019 the history and the experience of Old Testament Israel. And the burden they were bearing, of course, 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:44.800 wasn't just the kind of material or financial or social turmoil of being cast out of their homes, 00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:53.720 but it was the spiritual crisis, the spiritual burden of the exile. The people of Israel had plenty 00:05:53.720 --> 00:06:02.700 of reason to question. Had we put ourselves beyond the realm of saving? Given how we've failed, are we now 00:06:02.700 --> 00:06:13.180 too far gone? I wonder what burdens you this morning. What heavy weight are you bringing with you? 00:06:14.780 --> 00:06:19.620 Perhaps the burden of some trial you're facing at home or at work. You're feeling stretched to your limit, 00:06:19.620 --> 00:06:29.639 not sure if you'll hold up much longer. Or perhaps you carry with you the burden of some failure you've 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:37.759 experienced. You've not just let down a friend or a family member, but you know you've sinned against 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:46.300 God. You've not kept His law, His good law. You've not responded to His kindness and His glory with the love 00:06:46.300 --> 00:06:52.560 and obedience He deserves. So you carry the burden of guilt and shame. 00:06:55.459 --> 00:07:02.939 But to those of us with heavy burdens, God here speaks a word of comfort. Twice in this passage, 00:07:02.939 --> 00:07:10.959 He says, listen. In verse 3 and in verse 12, listen. Listen to what God has to say to your burdened heart. 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:18.939 And in the first four verses, God says to our burdened hearts, our hearts burdened with trials, 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:26.459 He says, I will carry you. And then in the rest of the chapter, verses 5 through 13, God says to our 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:30.699 burdened hearts, burdened with sin and with failure, He says, I will save you. 00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:38.959 Here is the God who carries the burdened. Here is the God who saves the burdened. 00:07:40.219 --> 00:07:44.159 And as we said, God helps us to see this by way of contrast. So let's take a look at that first. 00:07:44.219 --> 00:07:50.379 Let's look at verses 1 through 4 where God says, I will carry you. Now the passage opens with two 00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:56.620 Babylonian gods, Bel and Nebo. Bel was the chief god of Babylon and Nebo was the Babylonian god of 00:07:56.620 --> 00:08:00.959 wisdom. And remember, the Babylonians were the ones who conquered Judah in the sixth century 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:09.600 and sent them into exile. But here, in Isaiah's sort of vision, these supposedly conquering gods are 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:17.139 pictured as collapsing and crumbling. Bel bows down, Nebo stoops. And the graven images of these gods 00:08:17.139 --> 00:08:23.259 that were once so terrifying and so awe-inspiring are now being carried by beasts of burden, sort of 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:30.399 trudged along, themselves being taken off into exile. The idols that once promised so much, the idols 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:38.600 that carried such weight and importance are now just themselves a burdensome weight. Even the pack 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:46.039 animals are buckling under their heavy load. Idolatry is always like that, you know. 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:55.360 In the beginning, we turn to a substitute god for relief or for freedom. We invest our significance 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:00.879 in some created thing. We place our identity or our hope in some created thing because we desire 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:07.899 some kind of relief, some kind of freedom from our burdens. Now I hope you realize that idolatry 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:13.339 wasn't just a problem in the ancient world. It's a problem in every world. The human heart's always 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:19.720 taking good things and turning them into ultimate things. We take something like family or work or 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:25.060 community and we build our whole identity and significance and happiness around it. And we 00:09:25.060 --> 00:09:31.160 say, this is my thing. This is my identity. And what we're really saying is, this is my God. 00:09:33.580 --> 00:09:38.480 And we do that oftentimes because we're looking for relief. We're looking for freedom. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:45.300 Instead of centering our lives around God, we center it around work or relationship or our self-image. 00:09:45.460 --> 00:09:50.300 And for a little while, it seems to work, right? The work pays off and we feel some relief. We feel 00:09:50.300 --> 00:10:00.000 some freedom, etc., etc. But here's the problem. The more we give, the more it asks. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:10.440 We wanted that thing to hold us up, but in the end, we have to hold it up. And it becomes a burden we 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:19.860 cannot bear. A lot of addiction works this way, you know. In response to hurt or pain or disappointment, 00:10:19.860 --> 00:10:25.480 we turn to something for relief. And at first, maybe that thing seems relieving, 00:10:25.480 --> 00:10:34.680 but then it grows. And suddenly, we find we can't stop doing that thing. We're trapped. We're burdened. 00:10:36.180 --> 00:10:40.659 We want to stop drinking, but we drink nonetheless. We want to stop using, but we use nonetheless. 00:10:42.680 --> 00:10:48.360 We want to take a break from working, but we keep working nonetheless. And suddenly, 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:53.840 the thing we thought would carry us and give us some relief is now a burden that crushes us. 00:10:55.480 --> 00:11:02.920 By way of contrast, though, listen to what the Lord says. 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:07.820 Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, 00:11:08.220 --> 00:11:14.500 who have been born by me from before your birth, carried from the womb. Even to your old age, 00:11:14.500 --> 00:11:23.720 I am he, and to gray hairs, I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. I will carry and will save. 00:11:23.720 --> 00:11:31.000 In contrast to the idols who need to be carried, God says, you don't have to carry me. I carry you. 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:38.879 After all, God made you. Before you could think or speak, God was bearing you up, putting breath in 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:44.560 your lungs, sustaining you minute by minute, hour by hour. And God promises to keep doing so, 00:11:44.680 --> 00:11:48.340 even to your old age, he says. He will carry you. 00:11:48.340 --> 00:11:55.500 What good news this is for the weary and for the burdened, the promise of the almighty creator of 00:11:55.500 --> 00:12:03.440 heaven and earth that he sees his people and he will carry them. No matter how dark the skies, 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:11.019 no matter how deep the storm, the Lord will carry you. Now, sometimes in the Christian life, 00:12:11.060 --> 00:12:14.800 you can really get a sense of this. I remember a number of years ago, this was quite a while ago, 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:20.959 a friend asked me to do the funeral for her husband who had died after a long battle with 00:12:20.959 --> 00:12:25.539 cancer. And I knew that nearly everyone there at the funeral was going to be an unbeliever. 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:32.479 And quite honestly, I was really nervous. I wasn't quite sure how I would approach it, 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:38.759 what I would say, what I would do. But in those stressful weeks leading up to that memorial service, 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:44.720 it was one of those times in my life when I could really feel the Lord's presence sustaining me. 00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:52.120 God felt very near, very present. It was still a very challenging and stressful experience, no doubt. 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:57.220 But I could sense very evidently what Isaiah 46 was saying here, the Lord will carry you. 00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:02.559 Sometimes we can really feel the truth of that promise. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:10.779 But that's not always the case. Sometimes we go through trials, sometimes we bear burdens, 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:15.619 and we can't feel the Lord's presence. Sometimes it feels like we're on our own. 00:13:18.099 --> 00:13:20.719 But you know, that doesn't make God's promise any less true. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:27.000 It may not feel like the Lord is carrying us, but He is nonetheless. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:35.220 You know the old poem that goes something like this? At the end of his life, a man looks back and 00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:40.320 sees how all along the Lord had walked beside him in his life, and look, there's proof. 00:13:40.820 --> 00:13:46.639 Two footprints side by side. But then the man gets upset because at some of the most challenging 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:50.620 moments in his life, there aren't two sets of footprints walking side by side. There's only one. 00:13:51.220 --> 00:13:55.580 And he says, Lord, where were you in the dark times? When I lost everything. When I went through the 00:13:55.580 --> 00:14:02.200 valley of shadow. When I couldn't go on. Where were you then? And the Lord says to him, you only see 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:11.600 one set of prints because those were the times when I carried you. So when you and I are feeling 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:18.180 burdened, feeling weary, you know, the temptation will be for us to turn, to turn to some idol for 00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:23.020 comfort or for relief. But Isaiah is showing us here that substitute gods will only end up making 00:14:23.019 --> 00:14:29.899 the burden worse. The Lord promises something totally different. The idols will burden you, 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:37.960 but the Lord will carry you. So trust Him. Walk with Him. He will carry you. 00:14:40.179 --> 00:14:45.620 But there's more. Not only does the Lord promise to carry us, He promises to save us. 00:14:45.620 --> 00:14:53.740 To save us. And in verses 5 through 13, the second part of our passage, God strikes up another contrast 00:14:53.740 --> 00:15:02.000 with the idols. And notice in verses 5 through 7 how devout and how faithful these worshipers of 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:09.820 idols are. They lavish gold from the purse. They weigh out silver in the scales. They're sacrificial in 00:15:09.820 --> 00:15:15.280 their giving. And notice how hard they work for their false gods. In verse 7, they lift it and they 00:15:15.280 --> 00:15:20.340 carry it and they set it in place, performing all the duties and all the rights that they should. 00:15:22.160 --> 00:15:28.960 And what is the result? If we give all of our money and resources, all our energy and gifts to the 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:38.240 idols of our choosing, what comes of it? Look at the end of verse 7. The idols do not answer when we cry 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:46.200 out and they cannot save. Have you wondered why so many people who seemingly have everything 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:54.580 are so riddled still with insecurity and guilt and shame, just like everybody else? 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:03.620 Because the gods that we serve, money, success, power, fame, 00:16:03.620 --> 00:16:15.779 they can't really save us from what's really wrong. We need to be rescued, reconciled, forgiven by the 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:26.720 God who made us. The world needs to be put right. Imagine I had a bicycle and everything on the bicycle 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:32.519 was pristine. The chain, the seat, the frame, the handlebars, the brakes. Some of you here I know are 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:35.960 cyclists. I am not, so you'll probably correct me after the service about how I'm getting all this 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:40.539 mechanics wrong. But imagine you had this beautiful bicycle and it was all just perfect and well 00:16:40.539 --> 00:16:44.360 sort of designed and well engineered and well kept, except for one thing. 00:16:46.539 --> 00:16:49.220 The tires were kind of bent, a little twisted. 00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:55.919 And every time you tried to get on this bike to ride, it just wobbled and shook until eventually 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:01.840 you'd fall off. Well, imagine you took that bike with the bent tires and you oiled the chain and you 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:06.200 checked the brakes and you polished the frame and you tightened the seat and then jumped back on and went for a ride. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:07.819 What would happen? 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:16.940 The same exact thing. The bent tires would still send you spinning and falling and flailing. 00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:24.019 The only way the bike is going to ride, the way it's meant to ride, 00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:26.700 is if the wheels are put right. 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:35.220 Our lives are just like that. You know, we spend so much time polishing the frame and tightening the seat. 00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:40.079 But all we need are our wheels. We need our hearts to be put right. 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:44.759 But the idols that we worship, 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:47.059 they can't do it. 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:48.900 They can't save us. 00:17:48.900 --> 00:17:52.820 Verses 5-7 show us that 00:17:52.820 --> 00:17:55.480 idols will take your best 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:58.680 and give you nothing in return. 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:02.920 But verses 9-13 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:04.720 show us how the Lord is 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:05.540 completely different. 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:08.800 Idols take your best and give you 00:18:08.800 --> 00:18:10.940 nothing in return, but look at the contrast. 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:12.920 The Lord will take 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:14.900 your worst and give 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:15.820 you heaven in return. 00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:19.519 Do you see in verse 8 and verse 12 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:21.519 how He calls us 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:22.659 transgressors? 00:18:23.899 --> 00:18:24.879 Stubborn of heart. 00:18:25.639 --> 00:18:26.700 Far from righteousness. 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:29.399 That's a big difference from verses 00:18:29.399 --> 00:18:30.639 5-7, right? 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:31.980 There the worshipers were generous 00:18:31.980 --> 00:18:33.379 and devout, sacrificial. 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:35.939 But in verses 8-12 00:18:35.939 --> 00:18:37.659 were fallen 00:18:37.659 --> 00:18:38.579 and flawed 00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:39.279 and bent. 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:41.960 And yet 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:42.859 that's the point. 00:18:42.859 --> 00:18:45.639 the Lord 00:18:45.639 --> 00:18:46.699 takes us 00:18:46.699 --> 00:18:48.559 not at our best 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:50.279 but at our worst. 00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:52.979 He receives us 00:18:52.979 --> 00:18:53.659 at our worst 00:18:53.659 --> 00:18:54.579 and what does He give? 00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:57.559 He gives us everything. 00:19:00.259 --> 00:19:01.199 Unlike the idols 00:19:01.199 --> 00:19:02.000 who cannot save 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.240 in verses 8-11 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:04.019 God says 00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:06.000 I'll accomplish 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:06.919 all my purpose. 00:19:08.719 --> 00:19:09.139 Verse 11 00:19:09.139 --> 00:19:09.979 speaks of Cyrus 00:19:09.979 --> 00:19:11.119 this Persian general 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.119 this bird of prey 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:12.739 from the east 00:19:12.739 --> 00:19:13.299 who will come 00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:14.579 and through the Lord's 00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:15.099 sovereign hand 00:19:15.099 --> 00:19:15.919 will defeat Babylon 00:19:15.919 --> 00:19:17.500 and send the Jews home 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:18.779 ending their exile. 00:19:20.479 --> 00:19:21.259 Unlike all those 00:19:21.259 --> 00:19:21.939 false gods 00:19:21.939 --> 00:19:22.519 this God 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:23.299 can save 00:19:23.299 --> 00:19:23.759 but you know 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:24.959 it's not just about 00:19:24.959 --> 00:19:26.079 a change in geography. 00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:27.419 It's not just about 00:19:27.419 --> 00:19:28.799 rearranging their 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:29.899 political situation 00:19:29.899 --> 00:19:30.619 or location. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:32.000 Verse 12 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.979 drives even deeper 00:19:32.979 --> 00:19:34.319 because remember 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:35.019 we need more than 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:35.859 a new set of brakes 00:19:35.859 --> 00:19:36.919 and a polished frame. 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:38.239 We need to be put right 00:19:38.239 --> 00:19:38.839 with God. 00:19:39.579 --> 00:19:40.359 We need our hearts 00:19:40.359 --> 00:19:41.159 to be put right. 00:19:42.379 --> 00:19:43.399 So the Lord says 00:19:43.399 --> 00:19:44.439 you who are far 00:19:44.439 --> 00:19:45.299 from righteousness 00:19:45.299 --> 00:19:47.179 from being right 00:19:47.179 --> 00:19:48.819 listen 00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:51.179 I'll bring near 00:19:51.179 --> 00:19:51.959 my righteousness 00:19:51.959 --> 00:19:54.599 what you lack 00:19:54.599 --> 00:19:56.199 I will provide. 00:19:57.779 --> 00:19:58.779 You are far 00:19:58.779 --> 00:19:59.519 from righteousness 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:02.079 far from what's right 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:04.619 but that won't stop God. 00:20:05.740 --> 00:20:06.619 He'll bring near 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:07.339 His righteousness 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:07.399 righteousness 00:20:07.399 --> 00:20:09.519 and He will put you right. 00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:11.659 Why? 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:14.619 Because of our devotion 00:20:14.619 --> 00:20:15.419 or generosity 00:20:15.419 --> 00:20:16.359 or hard work? 00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:17.359 No. 00:20:18.839 --> 00:20:19.959 Because of His grace. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:22.359 Because He loves us. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.419 And because He wants us 00:20:25.419 --> 00:20:26.339 to share His glory. 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:29.799 Idols take your best 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:30.459 and give you nothing 00:20:30.459 --> 00:20:31.000 in return 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:31.659 but the Lord 00:20:31.659 --> 00:20:32.579 will take your worst 00:20:32.579 --> 00:20:34.059 and give you heaven 00:20:34.059 --> 00:20:34.399 in earth. 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:37.960 And is not this 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:38.440 the very heart 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:39.379 of the gospel friends? 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:41.500 That the Lord Jesus Christ 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:42.279 came to earth 00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:43.839 and we literally 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:44.940 gave Him our worst 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:46.159 and we hung Him 00:20:46.159 --> 00:20:46.779 on a cross 00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:47.819 and we called Him 00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:48.419 a fraud 00:20:48.419 --> 00:20:50.159 and what did He give us 00:20:50.159 --> 00:20:50.599 in return? 00:20:51.740 --> 00:20:52.099 Judgment? 00:20:53.379 --> 00:20:53.740 Condemnation? 00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:55.480 No. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:56.779 He gave us 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:57.339 His righteousness 00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:57.980 in return. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:20:59.500 He took our curse 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:00.039 and gave us 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:00.619 His blessing. 00:21:01.919 --> 00:21:02.599 And for all 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:03.359 who put their trust 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:03.879 in Christ 00:21:03.879 --> 00:21:04.740 who turned 00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:05.319 from these idols 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:06.139 that cannot save 00:21:06.139 --> 00:21:07.479 and trust in the Lord Jesus 00:21:07.479 --> 00:21:08.939 who is eager to save 00:21:08.939 --> 00:21:10.119 for all who do that 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:10.799 we're put right, 00:21:10.879 --> 00:21:11.859 we're justified 00:21:11.859 --> 00:21:13.679 not by our righteousness 00:21:13.679 --> 00:21:14.500 but by His. 00:21:18.639 --> 00:21:20.399 So this is the great contrast. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.899 These puny skyscrapers 00:21:22.899 --> 00:21:23.479 that we build 00:21:23.479 --> 00:21:24.279 they're nothing 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:25.839 to the Mount Everest 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:26.859 of the living God. 00:21:28.619 --> 00:21:29.579 Here is a God 00:21:29.579 --> 00:21:30.539 who needs 00:21:30.539 --> 00:21:31.839 nothing from us. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:33.679 He needs 00:21:33.679 --> 00:21:34.439 nothing from us 00:21:34.439 --> 00:21:35.299 because He's 00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:35.859 the Creator. 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:36.879 Everything comes 00:21:36.879 --> 00:21:37.339 from Him 00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:38.759 but this God 00:21:38.759 --> 00:21:39.519 who needs 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:40.279 nothing 00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.159 gives 00:21:41.159 --> 00:21:41.959 everything 00:21:41.959 --> 00:21:43.659 and He promises 00:21:43.659 --> 00:21:44.359 to carry 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:45.879 and to save. 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:50.159 Now in closing 00:21:50.159 --> 00:21:50.879 what does it mean 00:21:50.879 --> 00:21:52.119 to live then 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:52.919 in light of this 00:21:52.919 --> 00:21:53.939 great contrast 00:21:53.939 --> 00:21:55.019 between God 00:21:55.019 --> 00:21:55.579 and the idols 00:21:55.579 --> 00:21:56.019 this God 00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:56.500 who carries 00:21:56.500 --> 00:21:57.000 and saves? 00:21:57.099 --> 00:21:57.519 Well first 00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:59.079 we should give God 00:21:59.079 --> 00:21:59.619 the glory 00:21:59.619 --> 00:22:00.439 that He deserves. 00:22:00.579 --> 00:22:01.159 Verse 5 says 00:22:01.159 --> 00:22:02.199 who can you possibly 00:22:02.199 --> 00:22:03.139 compare me to? 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:04.619 And that's right 00:22:04.619 --> 00:22:05.719 we should be more 00:22:05.719 --> 00:22:06.379 in the practice 00:22:06.379 --> 00:22:07.339 of giving God 00:22:07.339 --> 00:22:08.079 the credit 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:08.639 and praise 00:22:08.639 --> 00:22:09.059 and worship 00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:09.739 that are due Him. 00:22:10.199 --> 00:22:10.659 You know sometimes 00:22:10.659 --> 00:22:11.459 we can give God 00:22:11.459 --> 00:22:12.199 the glory He deserves 00:22:12.199 --> 00:22:13.219 by way of comparison 00:22:13.219 --> 00:22:14.179 right? 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:15.139 If the sunset 00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:15.659 is beautiful 00:22:15.659 --> 00:22:16.779 how much more beautiful 00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:18.000 must be the God 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:19.239 who created sunsets 00:22:19.239 --> 00:22:19.939 in the first place 00:22:19.939 --> 00:22:20.479 right? 00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:22.519 But sometimes 00:22:22.519 --> 00:22:23.099 we give God 00:22:23.099 --> 00:22:23.839 the glory He deserves 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:24.919 by way of contrast. 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:27.680 we see sometimes 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:29.500 how short-sighted 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:30.259 and foolish 00:22:30.259 --> 00:22:31.320 we humans can be 00:22:31.320 --> 00:22:33.279 and we think 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:34.060 how much more 00:22:34.060 --> 00:22:35.940 we can revel 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:37.140 in how much more 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:39.220 wise and good 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:40.480 our God is. 00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:43.100 So we should get 00:22:43.100 --> 00:22:43.620 in the practice 00:22:43.620 --> 00:22:44.259 of giving God 00:22:44.259 --> 00:22:45.440 the glory He deserves. 00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:47.180 And second 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:48.000 we should live lives 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.660 that mirror 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:49.779 His glory. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:50.900 Notice how the passage ends 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:51.740 I will put salvation 00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:52.340 in Zion 00:22:52.340 --> 00:22:52.960 that was sort of 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.620 the city of the people 00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:55.079 right? 00:22:55.539 --> 00:22:56.899 I'm going to put salvation 00:22:56.899 --> 00:22:57.739 right in the midst 00:22:57.739 --> 00:22:58.379 of my people 00:22:58.379 --> 00:22:59.079 for Israel 00:22:59.079 --> 00:22:59.979 for my people 00:22:59.979 --> 00:23:00.879 who are what? 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:01.879 They're my glory. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.279 God made us 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.819 to reflect His glory 00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:10.419 to make His glory 00:23:10.419 --> 00:23:11.739 visible through lives 00:23:11.739 --> 00:23:12.359 of love 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:13.500 and holiness 00:23:13.500 --> 00:23:14.859 and compassion 00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:15.959 and mercy. 00:23:17.419 --> 00:23:19.319 God carries us 00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:21.519 so that we in turn 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:22.459 might help 00:23:22.459 --> 00:23:24.439 carry others. 00:23:24.619 --> 00:23:27.879 Paul says in Galatians 00:23:27.879 --> 00:23:28.639 chapter 6 00:23:28.639 --> 00:23:30.079 bear one another's burdens 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.799 and so fulfill 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:32.679 the law of Christ. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:34.799 Has not Christ 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.839 borne our greatest 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:36.599 burden of all? 00:23:36.899 --> 00:23:37.919 The burden of our sin 00:23:37.919 --> 00:23:38.599 our guilt 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:39.279 our shame 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:40.859 and He's borne 00:23:40.859 --> 00:23:41.899 our burden so well 00:23:41.899 --> 00:23:42.459 that He's utterly 00:23:42.459 --> 00:23:43.139 borne it away. 00:23:43.799 --> 00:23:44.879 There's no condemnation 00:23:44.879 --> 00:23:45.419 for those who are 00:23:45.419 --> 00:23:46.119 in Christ Jesus. 00:23:46.699 --> 00:23:47.500 So what do we do now 00:23:47.500 --> 00:23:48.519 with this newfound freedom 00:23:48.519 --> 00:23:49.539 this newfound lightness 00:23:49.539 --> 00:23:50.039 of being 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:51.139 that we've been put right 00:23:51.139 --> 00:23:51.799 with our Creator 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:52.379 and have nothing 00:23:52.379 --> 00:23:52.899 to fear? 00:23:55.019 --> 00:23:55.839 Well, we look at our 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:56.559 brothers and sisters 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:56.980 in need, 00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:57.480 we look at our 00:23:57.480 --> 00:23:58.259 neighbors in need, 00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.919 and we say, 00:24:00.139 --> 00:24:00.839 just as my burden 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:02.159 has been born, 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:02.700 bared, 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:03.500 what's the right tense 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:03.839 of that? 00:24:04.259 --> 00:24:05.059 I should know, right? 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:06.259 Just as the Lord 00:24:06.259 --> 00:24:07.519 has borne my burden, 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.700 I'm going to turn 00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:10.139 and bear the burdens 00:24:10.139 --> 00:24:10.680 of others. 00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:14.060 Only Christ can bear 00:24:14.060 --> 00:24:14.940 the burden of our sin, 00:24:15.019 --> 00:24:15.820 but can we not come 00:24:15.820 --> 00:24:17.500 alongside one another 00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:19.320 to bear financial, 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:20.400 emotional, 00:24:21.120 --> 00:24:21.900 relational burdens? 00:24:23.360 --> 00:24:24.340 And in so doing, 00:24:24.420 --> 00:24:25.560 we bear forth the image, 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:26.880 the glory of our Lord Jesus, 00:24:27.060 --> 00:24:28.200 the great burden bearer. 00:24:31.340 --> 00:24:32.140 Last, how do we live 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:33.000 in light of this contrast 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:33.799 in Isaiah 46? 00:24:34.019 --> 00:24:34.580 Well, we live 00:24:34.580 --> 00:24:36.019 with the encouragement. 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:37.400 We live with hope 00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:39.600 that God will carry 00:24:39.600 --> 00:24:40.600 and God will save. 00:24:41.580 --> 00:24:42.220 Friend, if you've been 00:24:42.220 --> 00:24:43.019 pulling hard 00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:44.500 at the oars of your life, 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:45.920 if you feel like you've 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:47.480 been rowing against the tides, 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:49.500 let this promise 00:24:49.500 --> 00:24:50.320 fill your sails 00:24:50.320 --> 00:24:51.140 with fresh wind. 00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:53.700 You're not alone 00:24:53.700 --> 00:24:55.299 on the seas of your life. 00:24:56.120 --> 00:24:57.160 The Creator of heaven 00:24:57.160 --> 00:24:59.299 and earth will carry you. 00:25:01.080 --> 00:25:02.500 He'll steer your ship 00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:04.200 on the safest course, 00:25:04.820 --> 00:25:06.240 and when He's carried you 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.940 through even to old age, 00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:08.720 Isaiah says, 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.600 He'll carry you 00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.299 and He'll bring you 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.700 safely home to harbor. 00:25:13.500 --> 00:25:15.400 He will save. 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:18.120 And as we see 00:25:18.120 --> 00:25:19.000 at the end of this chapter, 00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:20.259 it's not far off, 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:21.299 brothers and sisters. 00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:23.559 The Lord's salvation 00:25:23.559 --> 00:25:24.559 will not delay. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:26.779 So let's lift 00:25:26.779 --> 00:25:28.500 our drooping hands 00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:29.120 and strengthen 00:25:29.120 --> 00:25:29.920 our weak knees 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:31.100 and make straight paths 00:25:31.100 --> 00:25:31.740 for our feet, 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:32.860 as Hebrews says. 00:25:32.859 --> 00:25:34.619 for our Lord 00:25:34.619 --> 00:25:35.659 stands ready to save. 00:25:35.740 --> 00:25:36.699 It's not far off. 00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:37.719 It will not delay. 00:25:39.479 --> 00:25:39.919 Amen. 00:25:40.919 --> 00:25:41.579 Let's pray. 00:25:44.379 --> 00:25:45.019 Lord Jesus, 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:45.679 we praise You 00:25:45.679 --> 00:25:46.259 that You are not 00:25:46.259 --> 00:25:47.199 like the false gods 00:25:47.199 --> 00:25:48.259 we so readily worship. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:51.079 They burden us, 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:52.579 but You carry us. 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.000 They exact 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:56.199 a grueling price, 00:25:56.819 --> 00:25:58.500 but You give Your salvation 00:25:58.500 --> 00:25:59.459 without cost 00:25:59.459 --> 00:26:00.539 and without price. 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:03.539 increase our faith, 00:26:03.659 --> 00:26:04.740 increase our trust in You, 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:06.119 great carrier of our souls. 00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:09.259 For those who are weary, 00:26:09.879 --> 00:26:10.659 remind them 00:26:10.659 --> 00:26:13.399 that Your mighty arms 00:26:13.399 --> 00:26:13.980 uphold them. 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:16.119 For those who are 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:17.079 under conviction of sin, 00:26:17.159 --> 00:26:18.639 draw them near to You 00:26:18.639 --> 00:26:20.299 to receive Your forgiving grace. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:22.539 Lord, this week 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:23.220 when we're tempted 00:26:23.220 --> 00:26:25.700 to forget 00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:27.279 Your carrying 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:28.639 and rescuing grace, 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.720 remind us, 00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:31.660 remind us, 00:26:32.540 --> 00:26:34.700 and keep us, Lord, 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:35.140 we pray. 00:26:35.340 --> 00:26:36.080 In Jesus' name, 00:26:36.280 --> 00:26:36.500 Amen.