Conspiracy Or Assurance Series

Conspiracy or Assurance

Isaiah 8:11-22

Introduction

- On Wed night, we discussed the importance of relying on God; trusting 100%

- If God is for us, who can be against us (Isa 8:10 is frontrunner to Romans 8:31)

- Even though our enemies devise plans against us, we will be victorious

- With God in our corner, the provision and supply is limitless and endless

- Today, let’s continue Isaiah’s challenge to the church and our own faithfulness

- Read Isaiah 8:11-22 / Pray

Point 1 – Rely on God! (V11-17)

- Conspiracy theories amuck (refer to the bulletin note for this week)

-- “From the Kennedy assassination to the moon landing to even the Gulf War and to the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico … conspiracy theories continue to crop up and bring us confusion and arguments across our nation and even in the faith.”

- Do not fear what you hear today; do not place stock in the news as fact

- God calls us to obey Him; to live for Him; to serve Him in everything (expound)

- God is to be called Holy (v13) – He is the one we should look to and worship

- The idols of this world have been trying to take over since the beginning

- Who do you worship? Who is your hope in? Where is your fear of the Lord?

-- Fear of the Lord = Respect; but note the additional word used: “dread”

-- Hebrew word is “yirah” means awe, reverence, respect, devotion

-- Closely related is “yare” means to stand in awe, reverence or honor

- God will get His glory; He will bring judgment upon disobedience (v14)

- Even if Jerusalem won’t obey He will still get their attention; because He’s God

- God’s calling us to pay attention today! He wants us to be in relationship …

-- 2 Cor 6:2 says, “For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” (Expound)

- (v15) We must stop stumbling because of disobedience; we must pay attention

- Our testimony is how we overcome; it gives us purpose and strength (v16)

- God calls us to have a testimony in order to witness and tell our story

- Even in the end the testimony is vital to spread the Gospel: Rev 12:11, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

- Your testimony cannot be argued with; it is what happened to you

-- Analogy of testifying in court; if you saw it as a witness – then you saw it!!

- Each of us troubles, each of us has hard times, and each of us has suffering

- But, the question today is who will you listen too?

Point 2 – Who will you listen too? (V18-20)

- Isaiah is a sign to the people that they need (emphasis) to hear and obey the Word

-- Much like pastors are today: required to pray, to study, and to preach

- Isaiah is declaring that He is sent from God to preach the Word, to be a witness

-Challenges:

-- How does this translate to us? How are we witnessing to others around us?

-- What is the impact that we are having today in reaching out for Jesus Christ?

-- Are our lives surrounded by the glory that God demands us to shine for Him?

- Isaiah has to declare to the people not to deal with spirits and mediums

- To seek your faith and your strength in Christ alone: 19b says, “Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”

- Think for a moment of where we have heard something like that before …

- Remember the tomb? Luke 24:5, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

- Who are we putting as our #1 advisor? Who do we place as chief counselor?

-- Or, what are we turning too for our strength and to provide us with all we need?

-- Alcohol? Drugs? Illicit relationships? Addictions? Self-prophecies?

-- Perhaps its self-reliance (we’ve always done it this way and it works for me)

- God calls us to lay those things down, stop carrying around the pain & seek Him

- TRANS: If we won’t follow Him, there is an effect to this decision we make

Point 3 - The Effects of Following Ourselves (v21-22)

- Look at the effects of not allowing God to be our sole provider (v21)

- Revelation talks of this also but more than that; how many curse God now?