It is my prayer that God would
speak to every one of you. Isaiah chapter 57 will be our
text. The title of the message is A
Call to the Grave. A Call to the Grave. The scripture here says the righteous
perisheth and no man layeth it to heart. The merciful men are
taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away
from the evil. There is one fact of life that
is clearly revealed in God's Word, and that not just to those
who are believers in Christ, but something that is plain to
see by everyone. Spiritually dead included cannot
fail to see this. Death, death is imminent. Death is coming. Everyone seems to like to go
to the house of feasting, but no one seems to like to go to
the house of mourning. Yet it is essential It is essential
that we declare unto you, all flesh is grass, and the glory
of man is as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower fadeth away, but the Word of God stands forever. Death is imminent. It is coming
for all of us, and none of us will escape it. None of us. Now we as believers know that
there are some who will, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes,
be caught up to be in the air with Him as they are alive. They'll
be caught up and transformed. We know that. We know that some
will not go through the veil of death, But friends, that is
very few. That is very few. Consider in
the Old Testament how many of them escaped death. Two. Out of the whole Old Testament,
you have Enoch who walked with God and was not, and you had
Elijah who was caught up. Everybody else went through the
veil. And I tell you, most all of us
will go through the veil. If Christ does not come soon,
most of us will go through the veil. I tell you, you should
prepare to go through the veil. You should prepare to go through
this veil of death. Even as our Lord showed us. Did
He not go through this veil? Did He not enter into death?
Yes. And we must follow Him. But this
truth is a real fact that we all must die, we all must put
off this mortal body. Go to Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes
chapter two. Look at verse 12. The wisest man in the world says,
I turned myself to behold wisdom and madness and folly. What can
a man do that cometh after the king, even that which hath been
already done? In other words, there's nothing
new. Listen to me, teenagers, there's nothing new. You think,
ah, yeah, my parents hadn't seen this before. No, we've all seen
it. We've done it. We know what it is. This ain't
nothing new. Everything that's been done is
being done and shall be done. Then I saw wisdom exceleth folly,
as far as light exceleth darkness. A wise man's eyes are in his
head, but the fool walketh about in darkness. And I myself perceived
also that one event happeneth to them all. I'll tell you what,
being a wise person is better than being a fool. Solomon said, I was wise. And
I'll tell you, that's better than being a fool. It's better
than being ignorant, isn't it? If you're wise about something,
you can avoid a lot of trouble. Isn't that right? If you're wise,
you use some, the Lord given us some common sense and ability,
and you use that, fine, you'll avoid some trouble here and there.
But he said, you know what? That didn't give me any comfort.
Because one thing happens to the fool as to the wise. What's
this one thing? Death. Death happens to us all. No matter how wise you are or
how foolish you are, we will die. It is appointed unto man
once to die. And after this, the judgment.
Now consider this. You man, you mortal creature,
consider this. No matter who you are, king or
pauper, rich or poor, famous or infamous, religious or irreligious,
wise or foolish, soon you will die. And most of us, nobody will even
know we were here. Isn't that something? We think
people are so important. We try to please people so much
and pretty soon they're not even going to know we lived. We're going to die as this man
did in obscurity. Soon we will die and this body
will cease to live and the spirit will return to God that gave
it. Who gave you the spirit of life? God did. And who's going
to take it? God will. Oh, people can't get
a hold to this. God says this in Deuteronomy
32 and 39. He said, I kill. You get that? I read this morning the news,
77 people died in an earthquake this morning. You know who did
that? God did. He took 77 people out
of this world immediately, as He determined to do. And I tell
you, your date, your date of death is just as your date of
birth. It is appointed of God. There
is nothing you can do to extend it or even to hinder it or to bring
it to close faster. God has appointed the date. And after this is what? The judgment. The judgment. And God's judgment,
when He takes your soul to judgment, it's not like man. Man's judgment
is biased. Man's judgment is unjust. Man's judgment is based on feeling
or earthly law. But that's not God's justice.
Man's judgment is often altered by respective persons. Isn't
that right? We even have a woman in our country
running for President of the United States who is being investigated
for a crime. Why is she not in jail? We would
be if that was right. Why? Because she is a person
of some importance. So therefore, they bypass law
to allow her to continue to go. But I tell you, God is no respecter
of persons. God is no respecter of persons.
God's not going to judge you based on a curve. My kids like
that when the teachers give their tests and not everybody did well. So they base it on a curve. And
so if you really got a D, they'll just go on and bring it up to
an A. That's unjust. That's unjust. But when God comes, God will
judge unbiasedly. God's justice will look upon
the heart and the motive as well as the action. Seeing then, we all must die
and be judged of God. Is it not incumbent upon every
one of us to understand the standard? What's God's standard? What does God expect of His creatures? What does God expect of you and
me? How is it that we, when we die,
can be received of God? Here it is. Be ye holy even as
I am holy. There's God's standard. I remember
when I was a kid, we'd have a roller coaster, had a little height
bar. And when I was young, I would
always try to tiptoe up to get to the bar. That was the standard. You had to be this high in order
to ride the ride. How high is God's standard? That depends on how holy God
is. And friends, the scriptures are
plainly clear. God is of purer eyes than to
behold evil. In other words, He is not going
to stand evil to go unpunished. Every sin against God will receive
a just recompense of reward. Now, in our text, we come to
the grave here and we see the righteous man. And this is a
good report. This man who has reached the
standard, this man who has reached the high standard of God's holiness,
it says good things. It says this man This man is
taken away from evil. He lives in an evil world, he
dies, and now God has taken him to heaven. God takes him to heaven,
and he shall enter into peace, and he shall find rest in their
beds, and they shall walk in uprightness. These righteous
men that perish, that die, they find peace with God. Their bodies
rest in the grave, but they walk. I like that. Isn't that something?
They rest but they walk. How is that? They're alive. They're
alive and they walk before God in holiness. Now let me ask you
a very important personal question and it doesn't need to be for
anyone else but you. Don't ask it about your children, yourself. Is this righteous man you? Do you have any assurance or
hope that when you meet God, it will be in peace? Well, now let's turn to God's
Word and see what He says about this. First of all, I want us
to see that this is a call to the grave, call to the wicked. to come to the grave. Now you
see the righteous man is dead. There's the grave. There's the
marker. The man's dead. It tells us that
we're all going to die. And what does God do by His prophet?
He said, draw near hither. Who? You sons of sorcerers, the
seed of the adulterer and the whore. Here the prophet calls the wicked
to the grave. And he says to sinners, come
near to the grave, and behold, your end is near at hand. Come to the grave and consider. Consider. What do you consider? Consider
your birth. He says, you sons of sorcerers,
You seed of the adulterer and the whore. Consider this, that you are not
children of the righteous, but sinners. Sons and daughters of vile sinners. He calls your mother a witch
and a whore. That's what he says of your mother
that gave birth to you. the mother that conceived you,
the mother that bore you and bear you and gave you milk from
her own breast. This is what God says of her.
She is a whore and she is a witch. God says your dad is a cheater
and a liar. Does that offend you? Does this offend you? Now this may or may not be physically
true. I don't know. But I tell you
this, it is spiritually true. My mother that bore me was a
spiritual whore. And my father was a spiritual
cheater. They were sinners. Sinners. For we are all children of Adam's
fallen race. We are all born of sinful parents,
even because when our father Adam sinned, we all sinned in
him. And this death, wherefore, as
by one man, sin entered into the world. And death by sin,
so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. The Scripture says, by one man's
disobedience were many made sinners. David confessed this. In Psalm
51, in verse 5, he said, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and
in sin did my mother conceive me. Now, what was David saying?
Was David saying that his parents weren't believers in Christ,
that they weren't saved? No, they were believers in Christ.
Were they out of wedlock when they conceived him? No! He was
talking about spiritual deprivation. He said they were of Adam's nature. And when they conceived me, I
was of Adam's nature. You see, all sinners can produce
is sinners. I have two products of my flesh
there. They are sinners because their
parents are sinners. And what transferred to them
was not my life. What transferred to them was
my death, was my Adamic nature. And so it is with all men that
this nature is transferred. Therefore, we sin because we
are born sinners. We are estranged from the womb,
speaking lies. The Scripture says, The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because
he is spiritually discerned, judged. Romans 8, it says, The carnal
mind, the natural mind, is enmity against God, for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Therefore, they that
are in the flesh, listen, cannot please God. Listen, if you will not confess
your illegitimate birth, if you will not bow in humility,
concerning your sin, even from your birth, consider who you're
defying. When a man defies original sin,
I want you to know who he's kicking at. He's not kicking at me. Look at that in verse four. Against
whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do you make wide
your mouth and draw out your tongue? Look, look. That's what
he's saying. Who are you sticking your tongue
out at? If you will not confess your
sins, who is it that you are defying? Is it not God? God said, let the potsherd strive
with the potsherd. Don't strive with your maker.
You'll lose. You'll lose. All you who despise the truth
of original sin rebel against the Word of God, and you set
your mouth against the sovereign God and judge of your own soul. All who open their mouth and
say, I'm no sinner, how dare you say that about me? You're
not defying me, you're defying God. God said you're a sinner. How dare you say my righteousness
and my works are not enough to please God. I didn't say that.
God said that. I'm just telling you what God
said. God said your works are filthy rags. God said your sins
and your iniquities are yours, and He'll judge them. God said
that you must be holy. I declare it even because God
said it. God said you are all an unclean
thing. And all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags, and we do fate as the leaf, and our iniquities
like the wind have taken us away. But consider this. Is it not
clearly manifest by your own experience that you're a sinner? Look at verses 4. Against whom
do you sport yourselves and draw out your tongues? Are you not
the children of transgression, the seed of falsehood, inflaming
yourselves with idols under every green tree and slaying the children
in the valleys under the clefts of the rock? Are you not a sinner like your
parents? Do your lusts not flame up and
passions overrule you? Some say, well, I believe in
God that He's just loving and He won't send anyone to hell. Listen, that's just a God of
your imagination. You shouldn't trust in a God
like that. That's a God of your own making. Some believe that
God loves all men and Jesus died for all men. They just need to
exercise their free will, do as best as they can. Well, this
is the false God of this generation that steal God's Word But I tell
you, it's nothing less than spiritual fornication. They are inflamed
with spiritual fornication against God. And what is the portion
of such people who defy God and will not bow to God? This is
your portion, verse 6, among the smooth stones of the stream
is thy portion. You that relax yourselves and
rest on your own unrighteousness, you're fools. You're fools. You have your portion among the
slippery stones. Have you ever been at a waterfall?
I go to a waterfall once a year and take the kids and, you know,
you try to climb up those things and, man, the rocks are so slippery. They're just slippery. You know
what the portion of the self-righteous man is? A slippery rock. He stands on the edge of the
grave cursing at God all the while sliding back into hell. God said that's their portion,
a slippery slope in which there is no traction to hold them. They are standing not on firm
ground, but on a slippery slope ready to be destroyed. Some men
boast openly against God and defy God. These are revealed
in verse 7. In verse 7 it says, Upon the
lofty high mountain they set their bed. In other words, they
set their bed of sin in front of everybody. I'm going to defy
God and everybody. And watch this, some people hide
behind the doorpost. They sit behind the doors also,
and behind the post they set up their remembrances. Some men,
they have a show of religion. A show of religion. But in their
homes and in their lives, surely they don't have any love for
God or Christ. In verse 9, some of you will
try to strive to obey the law. Look at that in verse 9, it says,
And when thou wentest to the king with ointment, and did increase
thy perfumes, and did send messengers afar off, and did debase thyself
even unto hell. What is this but trying to take
your good works before the king? Consider what God says to all
the wicked who defy God and who would try to be accepted by their
own works. Look at this in verse 12. He
said, I will declare thy righteousness and thy works. Here's the end
of it. For they shall not profit thee. You see that? So all your defying, all your
kicking, all your rebellion, and all your good works will
get you hell. That's it. The best righteousness you can
produce will only get you hell. That's it. What then is the hope? Where
then is the hope? As we come to the grave and we
see this, He calls the wicked. He calls us to see our rebellion,
our nativity. He calls us to see our birth
as sin. He calls us to see all of our
works as nothing but spiritual adultery. We see that the God
of our imagination cannot save us. Our righteousness cannot
profit us in the grave. What then is the hope for us
who must die? What is the hope? Here it is.
Look at verse 13, when thou criest, let thy company deliver thee.
In other words, you who want to have your righteousness deliver
you and all your good works, when you are falling off into
hell, you call out for them and see when they come. They won't
come. They won't come. What then is the hope? Look at
this, but I like conjunctions. In Scripture, I love conjunctions
because it always, it goes from bad and then it turns it to good. Here's the good. Here's the good.
But he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land
and shall inherit my holy mountain. Who is this? Who is this? This, my friend, is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Who among Adam's race put all
of their trust in God? Who? Who from the womb trusted God? I just told you, we from the
womb sinned against God. Who is it that trusted God from
the womb to the grave? It was only Jesus Christ. That's it. He alone trusted God
in every detail. In all of His thoughts, in all
of His merits, in all of His works. He trusted God in everything. Behold the righteous man of God, who came to obtain righteousness
for his people. He alone shall possess the land
and the holy mountain. What is the land and the holy
mountain? Isn't the land Jerusalem a type of the church? The holy
mountain, what is that? That's where the Ark of the Covenant
was. That's where the sacrifices were
offered and accepted. These elect of God were chosen
by the Father and given to the Son, and He came into this world
as a man to obtain for us an eternal righteousness. Remember
that bar, the standard of God? You know how I'm going to obtain
that standard? He obtained it for me. That's how. He obtained righteousness
for me. as my representative. This was
the purpose of God. He said, Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ, according
he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world,
that we should be, what? Holy and without blame. before him, in love having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children, listen how, by Jesus Christ. You not see? It's in Christ and
it's by Christ. You were the chosen You were
put in Christ as your representative man and by the work of Christ
you were made holy and acceptable to God. You were made holy and
acceptable. But what of our sins? How can
God be just and justify the ungodly? This is where the Mount of Zion
comes in, because that's where the atonement was made. Jesus
Christ, being made sin for us, who knew no sin, was nailed to
the cross, and from His blessed wounds flowed the blood and the
water, blood to atone, water to cleanse us from all our sins. This is how God is going to accept
me. And so when I enter into the
grave, when I follow into the grave of my Lord Jesus Christ,
I know this, that I have been made righteous by the Son of
God, and I have been made acceptable by His offering. I showed this
Wednesday night, but I want you to see it. I know I'm running
behind, but I want you to see it. It's really important. Hebrews
chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. I want you to get this. I want you to see how successful
the Lord Jesus Christ was in His offering. Hebrews chapter
7 verse 26, For such an high priest became
us who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens, who needeth
not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for
his own sins and then for the sins of the people. Listen, for
this he did once when he offered up himself. How many times? Once. Go over to chapter 9. Chapter 9 in verse 11. But Christ, being come an high
priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood,
he entered in once. into the holy place, notice,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. Verse 27, as I read earlier,
it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment.
So Christ was offered... How many times? Once. Once offered to bear the sins
of many. And unto them that look for him,
he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Look at chapter 10 and verse
10. By the witch will, by God's will, we are sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. How many times? once
for all. And look at verse 14, for by
one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Behold, the Lord Jesus Christ
is the only hope for dying men. And now that he's accomplished
this sacrifice once for all, look at what he says in our text
in verse 14. He says this, Castia, Castia,
prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way
of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty
one that inhabit the eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in
the high and holy place with him. also that is of a contrite
and humble spirit." Who is that? Who hath a meek and humble spirit?
Is that not what Jesus said? Behold, I am meek and lowly in
heart. Come unto Me and you will find
rest to your souls. Who is it that dwells in eternity
with God, the Holy One, as an intercessor for sinners? It is
the Lord Jesus Christ. And what is He doing there? He
says this, He says, you cast up the way and not those stumbling
blocks out of the way of My people. For I will revive the humble
and I will revive the contrite ones. Oh, you broken-hearted
sinners. You who are broken-hearted over
your sin, notice that Jesus Christ has come to revive you. He says,
that sin that stood between you and God, I've taken it out of
the way. Come. Stand at the grave and consider
your end. Consider your birth full of sin. Consider your ways full of sin. Consider what they'll do. They
won't profit you. Consider Him that trusted in
God. Consider Him who is the righteousness
of God. Consider Him who has put away
our sin. Consider Him and come by faith
and come now! Come now! And you that come, you are the
righteous man, made righteous by the blood and righteousness
of Jesus Christ. Come to Christ and you'll have
peace in your death. The death to a believer is not
a tragic thing. Paul said, we weep not as others
who have no hope. The Lord Jesus said, you know,
if you would believe, you would rejoice that I go to my father. And I'll tell you this, if we
truly trusted in God, the death of the righteous would be precious
in our eyes, wouldn't it? Precious. Why? Because the righteous,
when they die, they're taken from all evil. Isn't that right? When we die, where's the flesh? Gone. Where's trouble? Gone. Where's sin? Gone. never to be remembered
again. Do you get that? I one day will not even remember
what it's like to be a sinner. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
glorious? It is for you who believe, who
know him to be precious. Isn't it precious? To know that I, the son of a
sinner, am by the grace of God a son
of God. I had no right to it. He gave
it to me without any merit of my own. And if he gives it to
you, you'll praise him because there's no merit of your own. I pray that God give you grace.
As we go to the grave, consider Him and rejoice. You who are in Him, rejoice.
I pray that God would bless this to you. Let's stand. We'll be
dismissed in prayer.