If we can turn back to our reading in Isaiah chapter 28. I'm reading at the beginning of this section at verse 14.
! Isaiah 28 at verse 14, where we read,
Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
Because you have said, we have made a covenant with death and with Sheol, we have an agreement.
When the overwhelming whip passes through, it will not come to us.
We have made lies, our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.
Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation.
Whoever believes will not be in haste.
You see a great contrast in these two verses.
You hear the word of the people in the day.
We have made a covenant with death, they say.
We have everything in our hands.
We have this protection over ourselves.
And we will find refuge in our lies.
And then you see the contrast of that with what the Lord is saying in verse 16.
Thus says the Lord God,
Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone.
And really the contrast there is before us in where are the people finding their refuge?
One, the people are making a refuge in their lies.
And the other one is God calling the people to make their refuge with him.
And in the security of the precious cornerstone that has a sure foundation.
A few weeks ago at the beginning of this month, we had a communion weekend where we came together and remembered the Lord's death together.
And we took part or many of us took part in the Lord's Supper.
Many watched on perhaps as the Lord's Supper was dispensed.
And part of coming to the Lord's Supper, to the Lord's Table, is when we are challenged to ask ourselves, where are we with the Lord?
We call it examining ourselves.
And every one of us should do that as we come to the Lord's Table.
But it should never be the only time we do it.
Maybe it's highlighted at that time in a way where we think, well, can I go to the Lord's Table?
And there's maybe a sense of that overwhelming feeling, I can't.
I'm not worthy.
But even as we come away from the Lord's Table, as we go on, maybe looking ahead to the next one,
do we wait until the next one comes round in August before we ask ourselves, am I worthy of sitting at the Lord's Table?
Am I any better than I was the last time when I didn't?
Or even if I did sit there, maybe I'm feeling more unworthy now than I was then.
We're examining ourselves all the time.
It's not just at one point as we approach the Lord's Supper.
We should be examining ourselves on a daily basis.
And examining ourselves in the light of God's Word.
In looking to this morning and the service we heard this morning,
did you go home and examine yourself in light of what you heard?
Did you take it in?
Did you ponder it?
Did you think about it?
Well, think about who is my example?
Who am I looking to?
Who am I seeking to follow?
Who are the good people around me that I can learn from?
Who can I encourage?
How can I keep going?
Did you examine yourself under all of these things that Gordon was preaching to us this morning under the heading of grace?
Or even as we come this evening, do you come here to hear the Word of God?
In the sense of, I'm going to go away and think about what I'm hearing.
Think about what is being put before me again.
And examine myself in light of this Word.
And ask myself, where am I finding my refuge?
Is it in the lies of this world?
Or is it in this cornerstone, this precious stone that God shows to us as the person of Jesus Christ?
As we look at Isaiah chapter 28 here, we find a people who are examining themselves.
And they're examining themselves in light of everything that's going on around them.
And they're basically coming to the conclusion, as we so often see in Scripture, that, well, we can go on without God.
We don't need God.
We're going to make refuge, lies, a refuge.
We're going to make falsehood the place where we take shelter.
And it sounds absurd to us.
And so it did to God in his day as well, because he comes and speaks to them in a very different way.
And he assures them that there they will find no hope.
And yet, when we see everything that's going on around us, and we think of the days of Isaiah,
when the people were examining themselves in light of the standards of others around them,
and thinking, we're going to go this way.
We're going to do this.
And we don't need God's help in the midst of this.
We can decide ourselves.
We look at our own nation.
We look at the world in which we're living today, and we see the exact same ideas going on.
We'll find refuge in our lies.
We'll make falsehood the place where we take shelter.
And we'll call it wisdom.
We'll call it progress.
We'll call it we're getting on fine, and we'll put God out of the equation.
But just as it was in the days of Isaiah, when God was warning of the seriousness of judgment that was upon the people,
if they continued in this manner, so it is for ourselves today.
Things are not at a distance from us this evening, where we think, well, it's not really impacting me,
what our nation has decided, whether it's to do with infants,
or whether it's to do with when we come to that point of dying in our lives, and who is in control.
Or when we think of the wars and the rumors of wars that are going on around us, it's not at a distance.
God is speaking.
And God is speaking, not just to a few people in a few places.
He is speaking to every one of us.
Here and throughout the world, God is speaking to us.
And he's showing us the kind of judgment that he can bring upon a people of this world.
And none of us know how far that judgment might go.
Often we get asked the question these days, do you think this is the end times?
So many people have that in the back of their minds.
Is this it?
We don't know.
We don't know because the word of God doesn't tell us exactly when it will come.
But it does give us instruction as to the kind of things that we're going to see before it does come.
We're going to see the wickedness of man in so many different ways.
The evil being poured out in our world.
Much of it done in the name of progress and wisdom.
But God is warning us.
God is warning us that yes, we are in the last days.
We don't know when the Lord will return.
We don't know how far things will go.
But we know that we are living in the last days.
And the Lord is going to come.
And when he comes, he will judge his people.
And when we think of everything that's going on around us today,
does it give us a sense of urgency?
Does it make you ask this evening,
where am I finding my refuge?
Where am I looking in this world in which I'm living,
in the life that I am living,
where am I finding my hope?
Where am I finding what will give me hope?
Not just for just now, but for eternity.
We are being warned.
The Lord is speaking.
And he is showing us a sense of his judgment upon us.
But are we listening?
Or are we like the people here in Isaiah who will say,
no, we'll carry on and make lies our refuge.
The fool, as we sang in Psalm 14,
the fool says in his heart,
there is no God.
And it is foolish to think that tonight,
that there is no God.
But it's also foolish to know there is a God
and not to take refuge in him.
To say I'm not good enough to come to him.
To say I'm too much of a sinner to come to him.
That is foolishness.
Because we need him.
We can make different kinds of lies our refuge.
The lies of the world, but also the lies in our own heart.
That God would have nothing to do with me.
Or that I do not need God.
We are fools to think that.
Instead, we should see what God is saying and saying to us here in verse 16,
behold, I am the one who has laid us a foundation in Zion,
a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone of sure foundation.
There is this stone.
And what he's speaking about here is not just a physical stone,
as we would think,
but he is speaking about the Lord Jesus
as the cornerstone, the precious stone.
And it says at the end of this verse in 16,
whoever believes will not be in haste,
will not be in panic,
but instead will have a calm and a peace
because we know our refuge in Christ.
So the difference is there for us to see.
And this passage reminds us of what we have in Christ.
And as we examine ourselves under God's word tonight
to ask ourselves,
how are we with God this evening?
Are we finding our refuge in him?
Is he the precious cornerstone of my life
in which I am taking refuge?
We look at ourselves and we panic.
We look at ourselves and we feel fear.
But what are we to do?
We are to do as Robert Murray McShane once said.
He was a minister in Dundee,
died at a young age in his twenties.
But he once said this,
for every look at yourself,
take ten looks at Christ.
For he is altogether lovely,
such infinite majesty,
and yet such meekness and grace,
and all for sinners,
even the chief of sinners.
For every look at yourself,
take ten looks to Christ.
And so as we look at God's word this evening,
let's not just look at ourselves.
But let's look at this precious cornerstone
that is Jesus Christ our Lord.
And there see where we can find
a place of refuge,
a place of calm.
But the first thing we want to see
about this stone as we look at it this evening,
the stone that is Christ,
is the first thing we think about is
the stone that is rejected,
that we sang of in Psalm 118.
The psalmist there is closely tied in
with what Isaiah is saying about the cornerstone.
In verse 22 of Psalm 118,
the stone the builders had refused,
had rejected,
it has become the cornerstone.
But you see,
first of all,
it was rejected by many.
And this chapter,
chapter 28 of Isaiah,
is really showing the judgment
that is coming upon the people.
It's right throughout the first half of
Isaiah up to chapter 40.
You see the judgment
that is about to come.
Then from chapter 40 onwards,
you see the Lord then calling
his people back to himself
in the midst of judgment.
But here it is still to come.
There is the warning.
In many ways,
that's where we are tonight as well.
We are under the warning
of the judgment of God.
And in verse 14,
as we come in this chapter,
it says,
therefore,
and so it's showing,
it's important
what has just been said
in the beginning of the chapter.
Under this judgment
that you are under,
therefore it says,
hear the word of the Lord.
Hear what the Lord is saying.
And what you find is,
what's happened is,
the people are rejecting God.
They are turning away from God.
And it's happened in Isaiah's day
among the religious leaders
as well as the political leaders.
They've all turned away from God.
And the rot has set in.
And that is what we see
to this very day.
God is judging this nation
because the people,
the leaders,
have turned away from God.
At the time of national crisis
in the midst of the people
in Isaiah's day,
a time when the nation
was coming under threat,
the people,
instead of turning to God,
turned away from him.
And you see,
in verse 14,
it says,
hear the word of the Lord,
you scoffers.
You scoffers there
mean that this is
a repeated practice.
It's not just a one-off.
But the people are doing it
again and again and again.
Every decision that they're making,
every direction they're turning,
it's all going away from God
again and again and again.
And you see it in verse 15.
It's their own wisdom.
It says there,
because you have said.
They are making all
their own decisions,
using their own wisdom.
Instead of listening
to what the Lord is saying,
they're listening to themselves.
And where do they end up?
They end up,
we have made a covenant
with death.
death.
This is the way
that we are going.
And does it not
speak into our situation
today?
This is the way
that we are going.
This is the direction
we are choosing to turn
in our own wisdom.
We will take all these matters
of life and death
into our own hands.
And where does it lead us?
To find refuge
in lies.
To find shelter
in falsehood.
And there is hope
in any of these things
is foolishness.
It's like we read of
in Matthew,
or Jesus preaches
in Matthew chapter 7,
the wise and the foolish
builder.
The Lord is saying here
in Isaiah 28,
hear the word of the Lord.
Listen,
but they don't.
And so what is the outcome?
The same as it would be
in Matthew 7.
Everyone who hears
these words of mine
and does not do them
will be like a foolish man
who built his house
on the sand.
And the rain fell
and the floods came
and the winds blew
and beat against the house
and it fell
and great
was the fall
of it.
There is the outcome
of this wisdom.
It's foolishness.
Foolishness.
It's foolishness.
To go on listening
to our own wisdom
is foolishness.
To go on
in the direction
that we are going
rejecting God,
it is foolishness
and there will be
a great destruction.
The Lord
is being rejected.
Isaiah 53,
verse 3,
he speaks,
we've looked at it recently,
he's despised
and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief.
Again,
speaking about
the Lord Jesus.
In John,
chapter 1,
verse 10,
he was in the world
and the world
was made through him
yet the world
did not know him.
He came to his own
and his own people
did not receive him.
He was rejected.
rejected.
The cornerstone
of Psalm 118,
rejected.
And so it asks
ourselves this evening,
what are we doing
with this cornerstone?
What are we doing
with Jesus?
As you look at yourself,
as you examine yourself,
are you rejecting him again?
Are you making lies
your refuge?
Are you making falsehood
your shelter?
Are you rejecting
the Lord Jesus Christ?
Instead of looking at him,
we're looking to ourselves.
We'll go back to
Robert Murray McShane's quote
when he said,
for every look at you,
take it yourself,
take ten looks at Christ.
He went on to say this,
let your soul be filled
with heart ravishing sense
of the sweetness
and excellency of Christ
and all that is in him.
Let the Holy Spirit
fill every chamber
of your heart
and so there will be
no room for folly
or the world
or Satan
or the flesh.
By rejecting Jesus,
we are making room
for folly,
the world,
Satan
and the flesh.
And so McShane was saying,
look to him.
Look to him
that the Spirit of God
might fill
every chamber
of your heart.
So as you examine
your heart this evening,
what is in there?
Is it yourself
or is it Christ?
Somebody commenting
on what McShane commented
there was saying this,
here is the punchline
to the entire thought.
The excellency of Christ
is both the brilliant contrast
to the sin
in our hearts
and the remedy
to the sin
we find there.
the brilliant contrast
to the sin
in our hearts
is the excellency
of Christ.
So as we look
at our hearts
and we see
the sin in our hearts,
we see
the excellency
of Christ
and we see there
the remedy
for the sin
that we find in it.
So it's not about
rejecting
Christ.
It's about
receiving him,
trusting him.
The fool
says in his heart,
there is no God.
So don't
be foolish
this evening.
Well the second thing
we see as we move on here
is we see
the grounded stone.
We see the foundation
of this stone.
What happened
to the stone
that was rejected
in Psalm 118?
It became
the cornerstone.
It became
that foundation
to everything.
And there
we are reminded
of Christ.
He was rejected
by many
and yet
all the time
he was being made
that sure foundation
of our faith.
And the psalmist
says
this is the Lord's
doing.
It is marvelous
in our eyes.
is it marvelous
in your eyes
this evening
that you can look
to Christ
and see the
excellency of Christ
and know that Christ
is the one
who is able
to fill your heart
and find refuge
in him.
I say I may have
been writing
700 years
before
the coming
of the Lord
Jesus Christ
yet you see
here
Christ
in verse 16
behold I am
the one
who has laid
as a foundation
in Zion
a stone
a tested
stone
a precious
cornerstone
of a sure
foundation.
We see it
here
the cornerstone
is Christ.
Jesus himself
when he was
standing
before the scribes
and the Pharisees
he quoted
Psalm 118
in Matthew
21
verse 42
he says
the stone
the builders
reject
has become
the cornerstone
but they
couldn't see it
they were rejecting
him
and here was
the Lord
that stone
before them
and here we
have the Lord
before us
this evening
and are we
rejecting him
as well?
We would be
foolish.
Peter
and Paul
in the New
Testament
they use
this verse
as well
in 1 Peter
chapter 2
verse 6
Peter says
here
for it
stands
in scripture
behold
I am
laying
in Zion
a stone
a cornerstone
chosen
and precious
and whoever
believes
in him
will not
be put
to shame
you see
he adds
that
believes
in him
the stone
is Christ
and so
why
was Jesus
quoting
Psalm 118
why was
Peter
and Paul
why would
they both
quote
this verse
from Isaiah
to encourage
a people
in their
faith
to bring
them
to see
their need
of Christ
that this
stone
is what
they need
for their
salvation
that's what's
spelled out
for us
in verse
16
and it
uses
these
different
phrases
as laid
a foundation
in Zion
a stone
a tested
stone
a precious
cornerstone
and saying
so much
to us
there
saying so
much
that the
people
would
recognize
when people
were building
in those
days
there would
be a
substantial
stone
that was
set
in the
ground
on which
everything
else
was built
so there
was no
mistaking
what God
was saying
the stone
was required
for building
on and
the Lord
is saying
here
I have
set
this stone
a tested
stone
a precious
cornerstone
and that is
what he is
building
his church
on
so that even
as the world
is shaken
as the world
is rocked
as even
maybe at times
when our faith
is rocked
we have
this precious
cornerstone
it is
the foundation
on which
everything
is built
we are not
building
on our
own wisdom
we are
building on
the wisdom
of God
who has
given us
this stone
God
is building
his church
and he is
building it
on the rock
that is
Jesus Christ
I was
watching a
building
program
this last
week and
somebody
had bought
a plot
of land
and they
wanted to
build a
house on
it
and they
knew the
ground
wasn't the
best but
they didn't
realise just
how bad
it was
when they
started clearing
the ground
you could see
this digger
just digging
in and
underneath the
top layer
of soil
they had
clay
and the
clay was
just going
down and
down
it was
just seemed
to be
never ending
and they
were so
amazed
at the
depth
and it
caused
them
panic
because
they realised
we can't
build here
we've got
to hit
rock
now the
builder
could easily
have said
well we've
gone down
far enough
we'll just
build on
this clay
they don't
really need
to know
but he
couldn't
because he
knew that
very soon
if they did
that the
building was
going to
start to
give way
it didn't
have a
sure
foundation
and when
you look at
the people
in Isaiah's
day here
their foundation
was very
much on
clay
their wisdom
was in the
lies that
they were
taking refuge
in and
falsehood
they had
taken shelter
so what was
going to
happen
it's all
going to
come
crumbling
down
and the
wisdom of
this world
is just
like that
it's being
built on
a foundation
that is
weak
and it's
going to
come crumbling
down
but the
Lord didn't
spare anything
when he laid
this foundation
a very different
foundation
this stone
the foundation
stone in
Zion
a stone
a tested
stone
he spared
nothing
he gave
his son
that he
might give
his life
for his
people
that Jesus
would be the
foundation
of our
faith
Gordon was
mentioning this
morning of
our righteousness
when our
righteousness is
in ourselves
it's got no
foundation
Paul was
saying there
in Philippines
he had all
of these
things he
could claim
as his
own
foundation
his own
righteousness
but it was
nothing
it was
rubbish
compared to
the surpassing
worth of
knowing Christ
Jesus
as Lord
tested
stone
a precious
stone
the stone
that the
builders would
use would be
an expensive
stone
it would be
a costly
stone
because it
needed to
be secure
it needed to
be right
for the
foundation
and God
did not
spare
anything
the cost
was paid
in full
what are we
relying on
our
falsehood
our lies
or the
stone
that is
Jesus
Christ
probably the
young people
here just
now tonight
but did
you get any
school reports
in the last
few weeks
when you come
to the end
of term
or maybe
you're waiting
for results
of exams
it can be a
bit of an
anxious time
there was
once a
school boy
brought home
his school
report
and it
had very
poor
grades
he didn't
do very
well
at all
and he
gave it to
his father
read it
and he
said to
him
what do
you have
to say
about this
you haven't
done well
and the wee
boy replied
well there's
one thing
dad for
sure
you can
be proud
of me
I
didn't
cheat
finding a
positive
in the
midst of
everything
else
that was
negative
when we
stand
before
God
and he
looks at
us
and we
failed
in so
many
things
what are
we going
to say
to him
all we
can do
is be
honest
and if
we're
saying
it is
not in
my
righteousness
we are
saying
I haven't
tried to
cheat
I haven't
tried to
do things
by myself
I haven't
tried to
do things
in my
own way
I haven't
been the
one who
has made
lies my
refuge
or taken
shelter in
falsehood
I haven't
done any
of these
things
Lord
from the
depths
I cried
to you
like the
psalmist
says
because that
is all
we can
do
all we
can do
is look
and see
the precious
cornerstone
that is
Jesus
Christ
to try
and do
anything
else
is cheating
we're
cheating
God
we're
making
him out
to be
a liar
we're
making
out his
word
to be
false
if we
can
say
we'll
go
by
ourselves
and
our
own
wisdom
he is
calling
us
to put
our
trust
in
him
as we
read in
John
those few
verses
in
verse
10
where
the
people
rejected
the
Lord
it
goes
on
to
say
in
verse
12
and
13
but
to
all
who
did
receive
and
who
believed
in
his
name
he
gave
the
right
to
become
the
children
of
God
that is
what we
are
through
faith
through
believing
in him
through
trusting
in him
and the
stone
that he
has
given
the
Christ
that he
has
given
are
are we
listening
to
his
word
that is
the
question
and as
we
close
it's
a
question
I
want
to
put
to
you
are
you
listening
to
what
the
Lord
is
saying
are
you
examining
yourself
in the
light
of
his
word
to
us
where
there
are
two
places
we
can
take
refuge
in the
lies
of
this
world
or in
the
rock
the
cornerstone
that is
Jesus
Christ
I said
before
whoever
believes
will not
be in
haste
it means
they will
find their
calm
their
peace
in the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
is
a
living
stone
it
means
that
we
can
look
to
him
who
died
for
our
sins
who
was
raised
from
the
dead
and
who
was
triumphant
over
sin
it
is
the
stone
that
his
church
is
being
built
upon
what
is
our
vision
of
the
Lord
Jesus
do
we
see
the
excellency
of
Christ
as
we
look
to
him
look
at
yourself
once
but
look
to
Christ
ten
times
and
what
do
you
see
in
this
world
when
we
look
into
ourselves
we
feel
a
sense
of
worry
anxious
about
everything
that's
going
on
around
us
but
when
we
look
to
Christ
we
see
the
one
on
whom
the
church
is
being
built
a
church
that
is
secure
not
just
for
today
but
for
all
eternity
New
York
today
is a
huge
city
population
of
over
8
million
people
and
it
covers
a
vast
area
but
when
people
first
came
to
New
York
as it
is
now
it
was
initially
called
New
Amsterdam
by a
Dutch
colony
and
they
set
up
their
own
colony
there
and
they
only
went
so
far
into
Manhattan
as it
is
now
and
there
they
built
a
wall
because
they
thought
that's
as
far
as
we're
going
to
go
it'll
keep
us
safe
in
our
place
and
it'll
protect
us
from
those
the
Native
Americans
and
others
who
might
come
and
if
you
know
you
New
York
today
there's
a
street
called
Wall
Street
and
that's
where
this
original
wall
was
built
and
the
name
stuck
but
if
you
look
on
a
map
now
you
find
Wall
Street
beyond
it
is
a
mass
of
streets
the
people
only
thought
they
would
go
so
far
and
populate
a
small
area
but
now
it's
stretching
beyond
what
the
eye
can
see
with
over
8
million
people
living
in
New
York
and
its
surrounding
areas
the
people
who
first
landed
there
they
thought
this
will
be
us
but
as
it's
gone
on
it's
exceeded
what
anybody
could
see
well
when you
look at
the
church
in the
days
of
Jesus
when you
go
to
the
book
of
Acts
and
you
find
a
small
number
what
you
find
is
Jesus
speaking
to
them
and
saying
you're
going
to be
my
witnesses
here
in
Jerusalem
going
out
to
Judea
and
going
to
all
the
ends
of
the
earth
the
church
we
were
being
told
then
is
going
to
grow
and
the
church
is
still
growing
today
because
the
foundation
is
Jesus
Christ
and
his
church
is
being
built
until
he
comes
so
whatever
else
is
torn
down
in
our
world
whatever
else
shakes
our
world
today
and
our
world
is
being
shaken
it's
being
shaken
by
the
lies
that
people
take
refuge
in
it's
been
shaken
by
the
falsehood
that
people
find
hope
in
by
rejecting
God
don't
be
foolish
tonight
God
is
speaking
to
us
he
is
building
his
church
its
foundation
is
Jesus
Christ
a
precious
cornerstone
who
gave
himself
for
his
church
are
you
taking
refuge
in
the
lies
of
this
world
are
you
examining
yourself
under
the
word
of
God
and
saying
I
don't
need
him
you
need
him
now
because
God
is
sending
his
judgment
but
he has
offered
salvation
in
Christ
and
so
he
says
behold
I am
the one
who has
laid
as a
foundation
in
Zion
a
stone
a
tested
stone
a
precious
cornerstone
of sure
foundation
whoever
believes
in
him
we can
add
will
not
be put
to
shame
do
you
believe
in
Jesus
today
is a
day when
we see
so much
to make
us fear
in this
world
but for
every look
we take
at ourselves
take
ten looks
to Christ
his
excellency
his
beauty
and find
your
refuge
in
him
let us
pray
Lord our
gracious
God
we thank
you
that in
the world
that's full
of lies
and falsehoods
that we
do have
one
who is
truth
and who
is described
as we
have read
as that
precious
cornerstone
that sure
foundation
and help
us this
evening
that we
might find
our refuge
in him
so we
might be
safe
and secure
in a
world full
of trouble
that we
would see
that our
eternity
and our
eternal
life
is secure
through
faith in
him
Lord hear
us we
pray
and forgive
us our
sins
as we
ask all
in his
precious
name
Amen
we'll
conclude
by singing
to God's
praise
in
Psalm
96
in
the
Scottish
Psalter
Psalm
96
we're
going to
sing from
verse
10
down to
the end
of the
psalm
to God's
praise
among the
heathens
say
God
reigns
the
world
shall
steadfast
lay
be
fixed
from
whom
he
shall
judge
the
people
righteously
let
him
be
glad
before
the
Lord
and
let
the
earth
rejoice
let
seas
and
all
that
is
therein
cry
out
and
make
a
noise
let
fields
rejoice
and
death
rejoice
everything
that
spring
earth
off
the
earth
then
woods
and
every
tree
shall
sing
with
blood
bless
and
with
mirth
before
the
Lord
because
he
comes
to
judge
the
earth
comes
he
benediction
i'll go to the main door and close with the benediction
now may grace mercy and peace from god father son and holy spirit rest and abide with you all now and forevermore amen
i