If you'd like to follow along
I'm gonna be in Isaiah chapter 66 the last chapter of Isaiah And I'm just gonna read the first
four verses Thus saith the Lord The heaven
is my throne and the earth is my footstool and Where is the
house that ye will build unto me, and where is the place of
my rest? For all those things hath mine
hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord. But to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth
at my word. He that killeth an ox is as if
he slew a man, He that sacrifices a lamb as if he cut off a dog's
neck. He that offereth an oblation
as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth incense as if
he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own
ways and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also
will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon
them, because when I called, none did answer. When I spake,
they did not hear, but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose
that in which I delighted not. Now, God has done, is doing whatsoever
he has pleased. I'm gonna put a period right
there. Now you can take that however you want. And he has
done whatsoever he has pleased on purpose. His purpose, not
yours, and not mine. Now this surprises some. This vexes others. But here's the thing. This fact
that God does what he pleases, pleases me. I like it. I like it. You know why? Because I trust God and the world
doesn't. Understand? I know that whatsoever
the Lord doeth It's right. It's not only good, it's right. It's the perfect thing to do. And I also know that whatever
God does, nothing can be put to it, nothing can be taken from
it, and God does it, what? That men should fear him. And
you know what? That pleases me too. Ah. You understand, I feel blessed
to know that the omnipotent God reigneth. And that's who I wanna
talk about today to you, is the omnipotent God. Now my title
here, Paul, is delusions, because of the statement in verse four.
I also will choose their delusions. Their delusions. I also will
choose their delusions. And it's from verse one, thus
saith the Lord. Because there are multitudes
out there right now who would love to limit the power of God. There are multitudes out there
now who are saying that God is limited. They're wrong, they're
wrong. Just say that right now. But
specifically, what they want to limit, they say it's not his
power, they want to limit his control. That's what it comes
down to. They want to limit his control. We can read it. I just quoted
it. Our God is in the heavens. He has done whatsoever he hath
pleased. And many will tell you, no he
doesn't, because he wants everybody to be saved, but everybody's
not going to be saved. The fool says, no, God. And some around here we have
heard say, presence, my God's a gentleman. He wouldn't force
himself on anyone. Scripture says he reigns, he
rules. You understand? He says the king's
heart's in his hand. And not only that, he turns it
whithersoever he will. The scripture says, he hardens
whom he will. He has mercy and grace to whom
he will, and whom he will, he hardens. And here's the best
thing ever. The Lord God Almighty gives some
men and some women a new heart that they never had before. And
that's a wonderful thing, that's a gracious thing. Hear the word
of the Lord today. I will also choose their delusion. That's just as true as you must
be born again. That's just as true as today
is the day of your salvation. Oh, hear the word of the Lord. Why do I want to say that? Because
the world will not hear it. The world will not hear it. You
know why? because the world doesn't believe
it. The world doesn't believe that the king's heart's in God's
hands and he'll turn it whether so ever he will. God wouldn't delude anybody.
Now, let me get this out of the way first before we get too far
into this. No, no, no, I am not making God
the author of sin. That sin's in us. Matter of fact,
that sin is what we are. It's already there. But he said,
now if you don't like it, that's your problem. And if you think
that that makes God the author of sin, you're wrong. But he
does say, I will also choose their delusions. And that's true,
that's true. And that's not God being the
author of sin. I don't care what anybody says.
What that is, is the fact that they don't want to deal with
the doctrine that God is sovereign. in all things. What did he tell
Joseph, or what, excuse me, what did Joseph tell his brethren?
You meant it for evil. You meant it for evil. But God
did it on purpose, he didn't say that, but on purpose, God
did it for good. Even though it was an evil act
that you did. Ah, you know, listen. God reigns, God rules. The world won't hear of it, the
world doesn't believe it, and I can't help it if you don't
like it. But this is the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. That's what it says, verse one,
chapter 66. I will also choose their delusions. But I'm gonna
tell you something, because this statement for me explains a lot. Now this is personal, explains
a lot. Think about it, just for a minute,
just think about it. How could Pharaoh be such an idiot and
run a country? You understand, after six or
seven plagues, you might wanna take a hint. But no. Pharaoh was king, and the king's
heart is in the Lord's hands. He turns it with his sword, and
it says, God hardened his heart. I know that, but I'm gonna tell
you something. God chose the man's delusion.
Now, I don't know for certain, I don't think there's anything
in there, in this, there may be something in history, but
you understand, back in those days, my wife was watching the
History Channel the other day. I warn her about that constantly,
but she never listens to me. But she's listening, she was
watching, and it was about ancient civilizations. And I walked in
there, she'd been watching, I was in another room, I was at the
computer, working on a sermon or doing something, probably
playing, but it doesn't matter. I walked in there and she says,
it's supposed to be a program about ancient civilizations.
And she looked at me and she said, all they've been talking
about is religion. All they've been talking about
the whole time, been on for a half hour. And been through this bunch,
and been through this bunch, I don't know, was it Sumerian
or whatever, they were on Egypt when I got there. And she says,
all they're talking about, these guys want to be god kings. That's
a delusion. I'm gonna tell you that right
now. There never has been a god king of a man. There's only one
god, there's only one king of kings and lord of lords. That's
Jesus Christ. But here it is, he's got, and
then I thought about Nebuchadnezzar. And you understand, he wanted
to be bowed to. He wanted to be worshiped. He
said he was a god. He wasn't. And he found out. But I don't know what this delusion
was, as far as Pharaoh, but it says God hardened his heart. And then I thought about, what
about the Pharisees and the Sadducees? You understand, Jesus Christ
wore him doing miracles, actual miracles. raising the dead, healing
the lame, the blind, the man who had been blind from birth. Some of them saw the miracles
in person. Some saw the results of the miracles.
And what happened? They rejected Christ. They rejected
Jesus Christ. Why? I will also choose their
delusions. Christ said of them, there'll
be blind leaders of the blind. And what did he say? Leave them
alone. Leave them alone. They're blind leaders of the
blind. And if the blind lead the blind,
what happens? They both end up in the ditch. I will also choose their delusions. They weren't looking to get in
a ditch, but that's where they're going. They weren't wanting to
go to a ditch, but that's where they're going. How could the people of Israel
continually rebel against Moses and God? They'd been delivered
by a mighty hand out of Egypt. They'd gone out with gold from
their former slave owners and said, move, go away. Yes, you're
free. Please leave. And then they saw
the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh's army
and they saw manna fall. Manna showed up the next morning
and the dew and fed them. Quail showed up from out of nowhere
and fed them. And yet, every time you turned
around, they were murmuring against Moses, they were murmuring against
God, they were complaining that they wanted leeks and garlics
and onion. And my soul loatheth this light
bread. What? I will also choose their
delusions. Their delusions. What did he say here? And will
bring their fears upon them, because when I called, what? None did answer. None did answer. And when I spake, they did not
hear. But they did do something. What
did they do? They did evil before mine eyes,
and chose that in which I delighted not. Oh my. Look at verse five. Hear the
word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word. Now he talked about
those beforehand. That is, I look even to him that
is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Hear
the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word, your brethren
that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said,
let the Lord be glorified, but he, the Lord, shall appear, what? To your joy. And they shall be
ashamed. They shall be ashamed. Now, that's
the Old Testament. But guess what, no surprise,
The New Testament agrees. It's in 2 Thessalonians chapter
two. 2 Thessalonians chapter two.
Beginning in verse eight. And then shall that wicked be
revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders. and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause, God shall send them what? Strong delusion. And I'm gonna tell you this,
it's a delusion that he's gonna choose. Strong delusion, God
shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned
who believe not the truth, well here it is folks, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness. You understand, these people
that are deluded are not unhappy. They're happy in their delusion.
You know why? Because their delusion fits right
in with what's in this heart. What's in a, what an evil heart
of unbelief. A heart that's deceitful and
desperately wicked. Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh. But it does say, God's gonna
send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. You understand, because here's
the other part I wanna tell you. There are multitudes out there
who would limit Jesus Christ. You know, the voice of God, the
one who spoke the worlds into being, the one by whom all things
consist. They want to limit him. Here's
the thing. How many people have you spoken
to and told the truth and they just reject it out of hand? Don't
even consider it. Don't even pause, don't even
think, don't read, don't care, don't wanna hear any of it. I
can tell you on my personal case, many, many, hundreds if not more. But what it is, they reject it
out of hand, why? They have pleasure in unrighteousness. They have pleasure in unrighteousness.
Because here's the thing. If our gospel be hid, it is hid
to them that are lost. Why? Well, I will also choose
their delusions. But it hid to them that are lost,
whom the God of this world has blinded their minds. They cannot see the glory of
Jesus Christ. They cannot see the deity of
Jesus Christ, and they really hate the sovereignty of Jesus
Christ. You know, I mean, I understand.
I had some problems with authority when I was younger. Not that
I do now, of course, but when I was younger, I was in the army,
and they talk about You have to listen and obey your superior
officers. And I said, well, you find me
one and I'll talk to him. Because I was 17 years old, 18
years old, 19 years old, and I was an idiot. I didn't think
anybody was my superior. I had some equals, maybe. But
you understand, that was the state of my heart. I know better
now. But this is the thing. It's in
you and it's gonna come out. It's gonna come out. And God
shall send them strong delusion. What? That they would believe
a lie. They already believed a lie anyway. Oh my, God shall send them strong
delusion. What does it say? Ponder this
for a minute. Romans 9 21, you have to turn
there. Hath not the potter power over the clay? Why? Of the same lump. A lot of people don't pick that
up. Of the same lump. To make one vessel unto honor
and one vessel unto dishonor. Now, some people wanna fight
about that word dishonor. Well, look at the Greek and you'll
see what it means. It means what? Infamy and disgrace. That's what it means. But here's
the point. There's no difference between
you and them. It's from the same lump. But God makes, creates, molds,
forms vessels unto honor. And others are vessels unto dishonor.
That's what it says and that's what it means. What if God, willing
to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with
much long-suffering the what? Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. Now if you wanna get upset about
the word dishonor, don't look at vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction. Trust me, it's gonna make you even madder. But you
understand, What Paul wrote here in 2 Thessalonians says that
they all might be damned who believe not the truth. You understand? Those are strong
words. They are strong words, but they
are nonetheless true words. They're true. They're true. What did he say? I also will choose their delusions. and God shall send them strong
delusion that they should believe a lie. Now just think about this for
a minute. How surprised are many people, a multitude of people,
how surprised are they going to be when Jesus Christ is revealed
as very God of very God? How surprised is this multitude,
this same multitude, going to be when the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords returns? Well, I think some might be surprised
to death. I know some will be surprised
enough to cry out for the rocks in the mountains to fall upon
them and hide them. They'll be surprised when they
see the real, the real Lord Jesus Christ, the one whose hand held
the king's heart and turned it whithersoever he will. When they
see him robed in splendor and covered with the glory of God,
because he is coming, and this is the one thing, your delusion
might give you a lot of pleasure and unrighteousness, but your
delusion can't save you. The delusion can't save you.
And I'll tell you another thing, the delusion can't stop him.
There's lots of people who think they can say no to God. They're
gonna find out different. They're gonna find out different. Because your delusion, their
delusion cannot stop the Lord of glory. It's not gonna happen. The true Christ will bear no
resemblance to the one that is mostly preached in this country.
That is most popularly heard. They won't recognize him. They'll
see no resemblance in the one they heard preached because he's
not coming meek and mild. He's coming in power and in glory
such as the world has never seen. He's coming with king of kings
and lord of lords written on his vesture and on his thigh.
And he's coming to rule and to reign over this world and it's
gonna happen. And then, my friends, my brethren,
their delusions may be shattered. But understand, do you understand
this? We who believe now were at one
time just like them. You understand? We were blind
to the gospel at one time. There's always hope. God will
save his people out of the world. Because believers at one time
were not only murderers and blasphemers and all that whole list, but
believers were at one time Jews. Believers were at one time even
Baptists. Methodists, Lutherans, Pentecostals,
and even Catholics. Some believers before time were
even pagans. salvation is of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And it's by his grace, through
his faith, to the saving of the soul. Because, and here's the great
thing, for believers, Jesus Christ will come as the one I desire
to see. He's the one I'm looking for.
He's the one you're looking for. They're not looking for him.
They're looking for their Jesus. They're not looking for the king
of kings and lord of lords. They're not looking for this,
but I am. And I believe you are. We're looking for the one who
gave his life for all that the father gave to him. We're looking
for the good shepherd to return who laid down his life for his
sheep. And he's coming, he's coming,
oh he's coming. The one, the Jesus Christ who
calls his sheep, his people, to eternal life by the power
of his voice. Oh, what does it say in verse five of Isaiah 66? They
said, let the Lord be glorified when they kicked you out. But
here it is, the Lord's gonna be glorified. But he, the Lord,
shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Let the
Lord be glorified. He shall appear to your joy if
you're a believer because we are looking for the sovereign
Lord Jesus Christ. I wanna see the one who saved
me. I wanna see the one who saved
me. The Lord Jesus Christ. Understand there's all kind of
people out there. They're gonna, they're looking for, their savior
Jesus Christ, their buddy Jesus Christ. No, we're looking for
the Lord, the Lord to come. The one who rules and reigns
now and forever of his kingdom, there'll be no end. I'm looking for the one who gave
every one of his people the garments of salvation and the robe of
his righteousness. Oh, and here's the thing, until
he comes, I wanna hear people talk about him. I wanna come
and hear his word preached. I wanna hear the good news, the
gospel of Jesus Christ, until he comes, until he comes, oh
my. Oh, because to those who are
not now under this delusion, those who believe, Those who
know Christ, what is it? The appearance, the presence,
even the preaching of Jesus Christ is glorious and joyous. It's a good thing to hear Christ
preached. I like that, I do. Our Heavenly
Father, we are thankful for you. You have sent your son and he
gave himself for his sheep, for the ones that you gave to him
out of the world. He prayed for them. He's praying
for them. He intercedes for them now. He's calling them out of the
world. calling them, translating them,
out of what? Darkness, into the kingdom of
his marvelous light. Thank you, Lord, for all that
you have done for us. Be with Walter and Paul as they
come to preach your word, your way, your life, and you being
the Lord of glory that you are. We ask in Christ's name, amen.