The Final Appeal of the Lord
Isaiah 1.1-20
God’s warning to the nation of Judah is a very timely message for the church today. The church has two things in common with Judah.
1—The condition of the church today is similar to the condition of Juday in the day of Isaiah.
2—Judah was God’s chosen people
Deut 14:1-2 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. (2) For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
There are four things that I want us to see in our text this morning.
1—The Charge God Made against Judah (1-3)
Isa 1:1-3 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (2) Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (3) The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
A—God made His charge against Judah in front of two witnesses in v. 2—the heavens and the earth.
The charge is two fold—First, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Does this sound like the Christian of today? God has nourished us and given us salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ. Yet we rebel against God and become complacent
We have no commitment for the Lord. Our commitment is stuck to the pew along with our backsides.
The second part of the charge is inconsideration. What were they inconsiderate of? First and foremost—they are inconsiderate of God. They turned their back on everything that God had commanded them.
They did as they wanted to do. “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Oh, how this describes the church and Christians today.
We do what we think is right, and our way of thinking is shaped by the world and society around us because we refuse to be in God’s word and fellowship with Him daily.
We refuse to do the things of the Lord because the things of the world look and feel so much better.
But I will let you in on a little secret folks, the things of this world won’t last and the good feelings are fleeting. We are eternal beings and we need to be about the business of the Eternal One.
The second thing we need to see this morning is:
2—The Condition that Prevailed in Judah (4-15)
First, lets look at their spiritual condition before God in 4-9.
(4) Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
They have backslidden. The church is full of backslidden Christians today.
(5) Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. (6) From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. (7) Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. (8) And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. (9) Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.
These verses describe in detail the spiritual condition of Judah, but folks, they describe most of today’s churches as well.
The description is from head to the sole of the foot. That means from the top of the church in the pastors and leadership to the layperson in the pew, the church is sick and backslidden before God.
How is the church backslidden—We don’t witness anymore. We don’t minister to the needs of others anymore. Oh sure, we minister to one another, but the church is not here for the church, the church is here to minister to the Lost and Dying sinners of the world,
How can we witness to the spiritually sick, when we are full of wounds and bruises and putrifying sores ourselves?
James Jones said many times, that the sickest people on earth were not those with cancer. The sickest people on earth were the lost. They were sick with sin.
I believe that we can take that Saints words just a bit further and say that the truly sickest people on the face of the earth today are the sin-sick Christians.
Those who no better and yet love to stay in misery.
Let’s look at their religious condition before God in 10—15:
(10) Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. (11) To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. (12) When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? (13) Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. (14) Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. (15) And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
God was fed up with their fake worship! God is today fed up with Christians playing church! WE don’t come to church anymore to truly worship God.
We don’t come to church anymore to get a fresh anointing from the Lord or to get a refilling of our empty cups.
Our cups are not full anymore! Our cups are empty and it is because of what God said in verse 15--
“Your hands are full of blood” what color is blood? Red—Red is the color of sin in the Bible.
Our hands are full of sin, and when we are full of sin, God will not and cannot bless us, and he will not hear our prayers or receive our worship, because if we are full of sin it is 100% FALSE!
We have seen the Charge God made, and the condition that prevailed, Now lets look at:
3—The Correction that Needed to be made by Judah (16-17)
(16) Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; (17) Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
The first thing that He told them to do was to WASH!—Be cleansed from your present sins.
Christians we have a spiritual bar of soap that we need to wash with everyday and that is 1 John 1.9--If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This bar of soap is confession. We must confess our sins daily! What sins and deeds are you holding onto that you need to confess to the Lord and allow Him to cleanse you of?
The second thing they were to do is to Put away evil doings. These are the evil things that you are doing in your present life. How you live your life matters!
It matters to God, and has implications not only for your life, but for the life of your loved ones and for your church. Are you a truly committed Christian or are you just going through the motions?
IF you confess, that should bring about repentance and if you repent that means your make a turn of 180 degrees and go the other way. CEASE TO DO EVIL!
In verse 17 God tells us to Learn to do well. WE are to do well in four distinct areas:
1—Seek judgment. Today’s system of judgment has two sides, one for the rich and one for the poor. We need to seek equal justice for all.
We don’t need to treat those coming into our congregations differently based on anything. Whether it is color, sex, or how much money they have or don’t have.
We are to treat everyone equally with the Love of God manifested in our lives.
2—Relieve the oppressed—help the poor, the down-trodden, the neglected people of today.
Help them get the answer to all of life’s problems—Jesus Christ.
3—Judge the Fatherless—Some translations say Defend the orphans—We are to take care of those children that don’t have a father or mother.
4—Plead for the widows. God would have us aid and help the orphans and the widows, they are the less fortunate of society.
Exo 22:22-24 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. (23) If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; (24) And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Orphans and widows have a special place in God’s heart, and they should have a special place in the hearts of God’s own children.
We have seen the charge God made, the condition that prevailed, the correction that was needed, and lastly I want us to look at
4—God’s final Appeal to Judah (18-20)
(18) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (19) If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: (20) But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
1—God gives them one final opportunity to repent and get into a right relationship with Him.
(18) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
God is telling them, No matter how much you have sinned, no matter how bad you think those sins are, I can cleanse you!
He is telling the non-committed Christian the same thing today...no matter...I can cleanse you.
2—Verse 19 gives us the results if Judah listens.
If they listen and repent, God is going to pour out His blessings upon them.
Oh the blessings that today’s church could have, if it’s people were committed to a right relationship with God.
Oh the victories the church would be winning if we had committed people.
Are you committed to Christ today?
Let’s look at the result of ignoring God’s final appeal v. 20.
(20) But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
If you continue to rebel and backslide, you are going to be devoured with the sword.
You are not going to be on the receiving end of God’s blessing, you will be on the receiving end of His wrath.
Christian, are you at that point in your life? Have you gotten so far out of touch with God and so far away from a truly committed life, that God is dealing with your heart this morning making a final appeal?
This series of Revival services is for the Christian. But, the lost person that might be here this morning, you too may be hearing God’s final appeal for you to come to repentance and to a saving knowledge of Christ as Lord and Savior.
Answering God’s call with acceptance, is the only thing that will save you from burning in Hell.
Are you as committed as you should be to the Lord? Is Antioch Baptist Church doing everything it can for God in this community?
Are your hearts open to the Lord right now? Will you ask God to show you your true spiritual condition? Will you do anything about your spiritual condition, if God shows you what is wrong?
God wants true commitment from His children, Antioch Baptist Church needs True believers who are totally committed and sold out for Christ.
Listen closely and if you hear God’s Final Appeal, will you come to the altar and answer God’s charge, change your condition, and make the correction that needs to be made.
Let us pray.
