Sermon Notes to the Homeless in Hope Chapel- Aug 31
The Punishments of Sin….you can even pray and not be heard….sins bring consequences and punishments from the Lord….they bring the opposites of all that is experienced as good from the Lord.
Isaiah Chapter 1
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice
,
encourage the oppressed. [
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet, ……
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
21 See how the faithful city
has become a harlot!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
I. You will Eat….or in other words if you are willing to listen and to learn from the Lord as his word says Come let us reason together …and your will is inclined toward service to the Lord and not walking in your own ways and your heart is inclined towards obedience to God and His holy laws and virtues…then the scripture tell us that the conditional blessing is that you will eat ….or you will partake and be satisfied with the Food of the Lord. It is a dual blessing in that not only will the King of Glory and the Son of Man feed you physically but that he will also feed you spiritually. For he is a true shepherd and Pastor to his flock, the flock of God, Christ will nurture and provide the daily provision as he told us to pray…Lord give us this day our daily bread was not only for our daily meal for our flesh but was also to be our daily portion in our spirits. It is the Lord giving good to his people.
II. You will be devoured…this is the exact opposite of you being fed…it is telling us that if you resist the truth of God and his word and you rebel against his counsel and his perfect understanding and walk against him and follow the Path of Sinners then his Promise is that you will be Devoured. You become the food that is devoured by the World and of Satan, you become the prey of the vultures of the earth and of the kingdoms of men. Your carcass shall be consumed by sin and when one walks in a rebellion and resistant attitude he isn’t protected by the almighty. Psalm 91 tells us that he who abides in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty and no pestilence or evil shall befall him….
Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [
2 I will say [
b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
These are the principles of God ..that if you resist you will be devoured or eaten up but if you obey then God himself promises to be your shield and your success. Where there was once failure that can be promise fulfilled by God. It even states that your silver becomes as dross or your money becomes worthless because you cannot buy the blessing of God. Only obedience to him and His Christ will bring you the Blessing of the Almighty. It says the Faithful city is now the Harlot- what was once dependable is now unfaithful- only can we trust in the Lord and his faithfulness to find the fruit filled life or a life with a taste of paradise within it. Moral Purity, Holiness, Righteousness these are all the virtues and Gifts of God. Scriptures state: That of him are you in Christ Jesus who of God was made unto us Wisdom Righteousness sanctification and Redemption. Christ is the Answer to your Disability in life- or your disadvantaged situation is more properly said. You must surrender.
III. Come let us reason together..though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow.
Oh the path of the Sinner is hard….listen again to these words…
4 Ah, sinful nation,
a people loaded with guilt,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the LORD;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.
5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with oil.
Loaded with Guilt. Given to corruption…why should you be beaten down anymore….sin is a path of punishment to Go against the almighty is a sure loss in life…he states from the soul of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness…..no soundness or purpose in your life……let us surrender to God…
III. God Calls you to Obedience and Extends Mercy…
Listen to the lord …he states although you are afflicted, although there is no soundness , although you are being devoured and life is turned against you…he declares COME let us Reason together…although you have sinned he states He will purify and make you whole. It is only God that can turn and change your life….Listen to these words…
1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.
It states that only the Lord has the refiners fire and the launders soap…or only he can purify you and remove that which is in your heart that needs cleansing. Only Gods Son can complete your life…..who can abide in his Holy Hill scriptures say…he who has clean hands and a clean heart.
Are you weary from a life of resistance to God, If you are then His Holy Child Jesus is your answer today. Turn today and remove the distance between you and God…whisper his name in prayer, confess the Lordship of the Almighty Christ who died on the Cross for you and Believe in your heart that God has set him as the Savior of the world and loves you in everlasting mercy and offers to you and everlasting Kingdom. Then you shall receive forgiveness and justification and find the purifier of your souls…and His Blessing shall be yours…you taste and see that the Lord is Good, Merciful , Holy. Loving and Just…Gods mercy is for you today and for me…it in our moral responsibility to receive it. Can you beg and find the mercies of God today in your life? Then you shall eat the Good of the Land.
God Bless you and Comfort you today is our Prayers for you.
Shall we pray and be Blessed.
Amen.
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