(This was the first sermon I delivered, on the third Sunday of July 1987.)
Let me start off by giving you a summary of the 64th chapter of Isa. The 64th chapter of Isa. is a prayer. The Jews or God’s chosen people were praying to God for help. They found out and they realized that they had turned their backs on God. You have to understand something about the Jews.
Every time God delivered them out of a bad situation, they would praise Him for a while and then go back and do the same thing until another bad situation came alone. But now they are crying agonizing prayers, for God’s help once more. Now what bothers me is that they knew exactly what they were doing.
They knew that they strayed away from God. They knew they were in sin. Now Let us read Isa. 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away." (K.J.V.) Now the first part of the verse says.
(A)"But we are all as an unclean thing, . . . " Through the whole history of Israel, from Gen. to Rev., Old Testament and New Testament, everything that God told them not to eat, not to drink, and not to do, were unclean things to the Jews. But now we see that the tables have been turned in this verse, they are calling themselves the unclean thing. But before you say “good for them.” Isaiah through the Holy Spirit is talking to us today. He’s saying the same thing to us today.
What does the word "thing" mean in this verse? The word "thing" has many definitions, and Isaiah is trying to compare us to something. One definition of the word "thing" is "an inanimate object." Somebody might say. Well what is an inanimate object? An inanimate object is something that is lifeless, something that never had life from the beginning.
So therefore the chairs and the organ are inanimate objects. But what we want to know is, what is Isaiah comparing us to? What kind of inanimate object is Isaiah comparing us to? The next part of verse six will explain. (B)" . . . and all our righteousness are as filthy rags;.."
Look at the word "rags." Wouldn’t you say that a rag is an inanimate object, for it’s lifeless, it’s something that never had life from the beginning? So Isaiah is comparing us to a filthy rag, which causes you to become an unclean thing. The filthy rags that Isaiah was refering to was the rags that women used during their menstral cycle. Then someone might say, "Well Rev. E’Lon I would like to disagree with you. Isaiah is not calling me filthy. He said that my righteousness is as filthy rags.”
But you must understand that your righteousness represents you. In this context of scripture your righteousness is the way you live. Righteousness is what you say, and how you walk. Righteousness is your good work.
Eph. 2:10 says "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." What Paul is saying here is that when you were saved, when you were created in Christ Jesus, when you became a new creature, God ordained you to walk in righteousness, God ordained you to do good works. You are not doing good works to get to heaven. You are doing good works became you are already going to heaven. So you can’t tell me that Isaiah did not call you a filthy rag, because your filthy rags, represent you, which causes you to become an unclean thing.
That’s why you need to take your unclean things to God’s Laundromat. Someone may be asking themselves as they sit here and listen to this sermon, "Well if I’m so unclean, and my righteousness is as filthy rags, then how did I get this way? The next part of verse six will explain. (C) " . . . and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
When autumn comes and the leaves turn brown and fall off the tree, the next thing that happens is that a strong wind might blow and carry those leaves in all kinds of directions. The wind has taken control of that leaf. You must understand that the leaf (which represents you today who don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior) causes you to wither up and become brown like that leaf, and your sins are like the wind, they came and picked you up and carried you in all kinds of directions.
You are being controlled by your sinful nature. You must understand you have to take your unclean things to God’s Laundromat. Satan is out to destroy you. Satan does not just want to hurt you or make you feel bad, Satan wants to destroy you. But Satan is a liar and a deceiver.
While you are on this Christian road, (those of you who are saved,) Satan is going to try to persuade you to do wrong or go against the Word of God. You don’t have to listen to him because you are a new creature in Christ Jesus (I Cor. 5:17). But if you do fall and sin, spiritually you have a dirt spot on your new spiritual clothes in Christ Jesus and you must get it cleaned up. But there are a lot of Christians who don’t go to God right away to get forgiveness. They just walk around with a spiritual dirt spot on their clothes, and the more they sin the bigger the spot gets until they become filthy like a filthy rag.
That’s why you must take your unclean things to Gods Laundromat. You see we were once wrapped up in God’s love, tied up in his Holy Spirit, and tangle up in His Word. But all that has changed since we have allowed the Devil to take control. We are wrapped up in lying, tied up in , and tangled up in confusion. That’s why we must take our unclean things to Gods Laundromat.
Someone might ask, "What is God’s Laundromat.” Let’s find out. Let us read I Corinthians 1:18, which says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." God’s Laundromat is not like our Laundromat. It is spiritual. God’s washing machine was not made by G.E. His dryer was not made by whirlpool, but it was made by His power. God’s Washing machine is the Cross.
With every washing machine you need to fill it up with water. How can you fill the cross up with water? Lets read Ephesians 5:26 which says, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," The water represents the word of God. You might say well that does not explain how the water can fill up the cross. John said in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Verse 14 says "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus who was on that cross, is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. Jesus represents the water that fills up the cross. Now before we get to the dryer we need some detergent to wash our spiritual filthy rags.
Let us read Ephesians 1:7, which says "In whom we have redemption through his , the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" The blood of Jesus will wash away your sins, His will not cover up your sins but the of Jesus will wash away forever all of your sins. Jesus will take out the nature of sin which is eternal and put his nature which is eternal life inside of you then you will become that new creature in Christ Jesus. So please take your unclean things to God’s Laundromat.
If you take your filthy rag of hate, God will clean it into love. If you take your filthy rag of selfishness, God will turn clean it into giving. If you take your filthy rag of weakness, God will clean it into strength. If you take your filthy rag of despair, God will clean it into hope. If you take your filthy rag of shamefulness, God will clean it into modesty.
If you take your filthy rag of confusion, God will clean it into order. If you take your filthy rag of hypocrisy, God will clean it into realism. If you take your filthy rag of falsehood, God will clean it into truthfulness. If you take your filthy rag of foolishness, God will clean it into wisdom. If you just take your unclean things to God’s Laundromat, everything will be all right.
Then after Jesus washes you, He will put you in His dryer. And in His dryer He does not use just any kind of fabric softener to take away the static. Jesus’ fabric softener is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide you when you want to go wrong, all you have to do is follow Him through the Word of God which is your Bible. The Holy Spirit tells you when you are right, and the Holy Spirit tells you when you are wrong.
You have all of the Holy Spirit when you repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your savior. So take your unclean things to Laundromat. He will clean you and wash you so you can begin to live a righteous life for Him
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU
THIS SERMON IS AVAILABLE ON audio CD.
