Go back to Isaiah 45 now. Isaiah
45. I hope that the Lord will bless
this. I hope that it will be so clear,
plain and clear, that you will be able to give
this message to anyone to listen to, and they will at least know
in their heads from the Scripture Who God is, what man is, and
where salvation is. Who, what, and where. Who God
is. God declares Himself so clearly,
so plainly. And what man is. He tells us
what man is. And where? Notice I said where
salvation is. It's in Christ. I'll go ahead
and tell you. It's in the Lord. That's how this chapter ends.
In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified. The Gospel
of Isaiah is what we call it because it is indeed the gospel. It's the most comprehensive book
in the Old Testament. Isaiah. The translators didn't
plan this, I don't think. There are 66 books, chapters. You know how many books in the
Bible are, don't you? Sixty-six. But this is a Bible in itself,
Isaiah. It begins in chapter 1 with man,
sick, vile, wretched, a rebel against God. And it gives the story of who
God is and what salvation is. It ends with God's people gathered
together in the end, in New Jerusalem. End of time. Chapter 1, as I
said, like Romans 1. Clearly declares mankind is sick
from the top of his head, his thoughts, to the sole of his
feet, his walk. and everything in between. His
heart is correct. Everything about man. From head
to toe. And he's a rebel against God. That's what Isaiah 1 says. That's
what Romans 1 says. Romans 1 is the most comprehensive
book in the New Testament. Alright? But God. Man is a rebel against God. Look
at this, I'm very pleased with the attendance here, but it ought
to be full. Shouldn't it? Shouldn't this
place be full of thankful people to our God? The people don't
know God. They don't even believe there
is a God, or that He's not God. But God, in great love, in great
mercy, in great grace, purposed to save some of these rebels
by coming to earth. That's what the book of Isaiah
talks about. That's what we're going to see here. He came to
earth as a man. God came to earth to save. I Timothy 1.15, this is a faithful
Saint and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the
world. God manifest in the flesh to
save his people from their sin. To put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. And that's chapter 53 of Isaiah. Okay? Chapter 45 begins this
way, verse 1. Thus saith the Lord. The Word
of the Lord. This begins with the Word of
the Lord. In chapter 1 it begins that way. As in the beginning. Genesis 1. How does it begin?
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The
earth was without form and void. Waters were on the face of the
earth. And God said, God spoke and created everything. The Bible began, the Bible is
the Word of God, right? It begins that way. God spoke. God created all things by the
Word of His power. God upholds all things by the
Word of His power. God created, gave life by His
Word. God gives spiritual life by His
Word. The Word of God. It begins that
way, with His Word. God said, look at verse 11, Thus
saith the Lord. Look at verse 14, Thus saith
the Lord. Verse 18, Thus saith the Lord. You know, this is the only thing
that matters. What does God say? Let God be true. He is. And every
man's a liar. Didn't you like that in chapter
44 where it says, I frustrate the liars. He said, I make diviners
mad. Turn the wise men backward. Make
their knowledge foolish. You've read that, haven't you?
1 Corinthians 1. Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? The world by wisdom knew not
God. In the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. Romans 1, professing themselves
to be wise. They became fools. Why? They
don't know God. Everything begins with God. Everything
began with God. Any knowledge, any understanding,
any wisdom has to begin with God, the Word of God. Okay? All things begin with God. All
things. that God is God. Our Lord said
in John 17 3, this is life eternal, that they
might know Thee, the only true God. Meaning, very clearly, that
people believe in a God who is not God. But this is life eternal,
that they, whoever might know Thee, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom He hath sent." The same. So here the Lord God declares
Himself over and over and over and over. God keeps saying, I
am God, there is none else. Did you read that? I tried to
emphasize that. Did you hear me? Look at verse
5 and 6. I am the Lord, there is none
else. Verse 6, the last line. I am
the Lord, there is none else. Verse 18, the last line. I am the Lord, there is none
else. There is no God, no other God.
In another place, he said, there is no God with me. Little G.O.D. Meaning there's not anyone who
has any power or any control over anything. That's what God
keeps saying over and over again. Does He need to keep saying that?
I'm God. Meaning absolute, sovereign,
creator, ruler, owner, controller over everything. Barnard used
to say that writhes or wriggles. The God in whose hands are The
breath is, we're going to read here, he says, I do all these
things. Deuteronomy 32, I kill, I make
alive. I wound, I heal. I the Lord do
all things. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His will. Are you with me? This is our comfort. This is
our hope. If you know this God, you're
saved. I don't mean just in the head.
I mean believe in your heart that He is God and love that
it's so, that He is God. Knowing that He's God and you're
not gives you great comfort. Knowing that He worketh all things
up to the counsel of His will, that nothing is left to chance
or luck or mankind, that gives you great peace. You trust, believe
in God. But it is not it. All right? So here he declares
himself over and over again. Over and over again. The first
thing that he shows us throughout the... I'm trying to be plain.
I've got it written down here. Slow, calm, clear, brief. God is God. He's not trying to
be. He won't be God if man lets Him. He's been God before He ever
created man. And He always will be. This is
life eternal. Look at verse 15. Verily thou
art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Well, everybody believes in God.
No, they don't either. He tells us here that people
make idols and bow to them and so forth. He said they have no
knowledge. Look down at verse 20. It says,
Assemble yourselves, come, draw near. You that escape the nation.
That's us. They have no knowledge that set
up the wood of their graven image, that is, idols, and pray unto
a God that cannot save. And I quote this all the time,
I'm going to quote it again in case somebody hasn't heard it.
But every religion, bar none, but the true religion, Methodist,
Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and on and on it
goes, they all say this. God wants to save you and can't
unless you let Him. You've got to make Jesus Lord.
You've got to let Him into your life. You've got to let go and
let God. You've got to let God. God wants to save you. He can't
save you unless you let Him. Then what does that mean about
their God? He can't save. It's another God. And we tell
people this all the time, don't we? When we describe our God
from the when we declare this God of the Bible. And you say,
your God is not God, don't we? And people can't understand.
What's the difference? They believe in Jesus. You believe
in Jesus. They believe in God. No, no, no, no. We've got a different
God. Calm, clear. We have a different
God. You who know the Bible, doesn't
Romans 1 say that? All the way through there. They
change the glory of God and make Him like a man. They've got man
being God with free will, and God being man, waiting on man
to do something. That's backward. That's what
Romans 1 said, Isaiah 59. Judgment's backward. It's backward. God is God. He's the same yesterday. Today,
He's God, Christ. Jesus Christ is God. He's our Creator, the first thing.
Saving faith that God gives, it's a gift, begins with this. Listen to Hebrews 11. Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed or made by
the Word of God. Not some evolutionary creation. No. That what God said in the
beginning, let there be light, there is light. He created the
sun, the moon, the stars. It didn't take thousands and
millions and billions of years. No, God, that day, the day, the
morning and the evening were the first day. One day. Six days
God created the heavens and the earth. Six days. And everything
is exactly like it is. The way God created it in the
beginning of time. Do you believe that? You're in
a minority, but you've escaped of the nations. And it says, things that are
seen were not made of things that do appear. He made everything
out of nothing. That's our God, Creator. Romans
1, turn there with me. I'm not taking it for granted
that you know these scriptures. Romans 1, and you can turn, you
know, if you want to talk to somebody about the truth, Isaiah 45, but Genesis 1, but
Romans 1. Romans 1. All right, look at
it. Romans chapter 1, verse 20. There you have it. Romans 1, 20. The
invisible things of Him, God, from the creation of the world
are clearly seen. being understood by the things
that are made. His eternal power and Godhead. They are without
excuse. The heavens declare His glory.
The firmament showeth His hand. Day unto day showeth Godhead. But, verse 21, because when they
knew God, or that is, these things revealed Him to be the Creator,
they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became
vain in their imaginations. Their foolish heart darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. So they started
teaching throughout, in all of man's knowledge, God is not in
their knowledge. They don't begin with God. They
start teaching some kind of evolution, and everything that was made
out of soup. That's smart, and that's real
wise, and all of this glorious creation came out of soup. No, that's what's in the brains
of professors in our colleges. Soup. But anyway, verse 23, to
change the glory of the incorruptible God. What's His glory? Creation. And the greatest glory of God
is what? Somebody say it. Salvation. They sure changed that. Verse
25, change the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve the
creature more than the creator. And then it goes on to say, so
God just gave them up and they turned into beasts. But God,
I'm going to keep saying it, so loved the world, meaning a
people out of every kindred nation tongue on the earth. That he purposed to save some
of these God-hating, God-rejecting, ignorant, blind rebels against
God. And such were some of you. But
God. But God. Purpose to save. So, love. The Creator, how did
He do this? The Creator came down to this
earth. Jesus Christ is God. Oh, He's
the Son of God. He's God. Isn't that what John
1 said? Isn't that what He said? If you
believe not that I am, He said, you'll die on your sins. And
He let men and women bow and call Him God, like Thomas, didn't
He? All of His people. Every knee
will bow, He says here in Isaiah 45. So much comes from this chapter.
Every knee, I've sworn, every knee is going to bow to me. But
here's salvation. It's to know the God who was
made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ. And bow now. And
believe Him now. And trust Him now. And look to
Him now. I was going to have you turn John 1 and read it.
Well, I might. But He's the Creator. Look at
verse 5 in our text. Isaiah 45, verse 5. And I can't make this interesting,
and I can't make you hear it. And I'm just going to tell it
to you very plainly. Verse 5, I am the Lord, there is none
else. There's no God beside me. I girded thee, clothed you, though
you haven't known me, that they may know from the rising of the
sun, from the west, there's none beside me. I am the Lord, there
is none else. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I'm not going to argue. I'm not
going to answer this. I'm just declaring what God said.
Though He's not the author of sin, for sin to exist, God had
to allow it. All right? Let there be light.
Let there be sin. Or it wouldn't be. Nothing would
be. Look at verse 9. Woe unto him
that striveth with his maker! Let the pot-shirred strive with
the pot-shirred of the earth. That's broken vessels, fragmented
knowledge. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioneth it, What makest thou or thy work? You mean he had
no hands? I was going to turn to Jeremiah
18. He said, Let's go down to the potter's house. That's what
God said. Thus saith the Lord, Come with
me down to the potter's hat. You see that clay? Clay is what? Clay have any life
in it? Clay has no say. Clay is dead dirt. Where did you and I come from?
The dust. Where are we going back to? The
dust. Man was created from the dust,
right? And God breathed into him and
became a living soul in the image of the Son of God. He made all
things. He hath hands and He made all
things by His Word. I believe, I love thinking about
this, that I know this, the Lord Jesus Christ made all things.
It says so in John 1. Colossians 1 clearly says that
he's God and he made all things. All right. And we can't fully understand how God can
be three persons yet one. But we believe. And Jesus Christ,
the man, is just as much God as God the Father. So he made
all things. He came unto his own, John 1
says, his own received him not. His own what? Creatures. He was
in the world, and the world was what? Made by Him. That's Jesus Christ. I love thinking
about this, though, that the angels watched as God created
all things with His Word. And then God said, Let us make
man. God's crowning achievement in
creation. He said, Let us make man. And I believe Jesus Christ in a body, scooped down some
dirt, some dust, and started molding this image just like
him. into a man and then a woman. And the angels beheld this in
marvel, in wonder, in glory. What is this? This is man. That's why He created this earth.
Alright? So then, but they're just a statue. They're just an inanimate, dead
statue. Can this dirt live? How? It says he breathed into his
nostrils and became a living soul. And in this inanimate matter,
he became a living creature, man and woman. And the angels
said, look, look at that. That's what he does in salvation. God said to Ezekiel, you see
all these dead bones? You see all these dry bones,
Ezekiel? Can these bones live? I don't
see how. He said, prophesy, preach the
Word. And lo and behold, life came
in and they raised up. That's what happened to you.
Some of you raised you up. He's the maker. He's the creator.
Creation and salvation. Look at verse 11. Ask me of the
things to come concerning my Son, the work of my hands. Go
ahead. I made man, verse 12. I made
the earth and created man upon it. Oh, the host of the heaven. I command it. Look at verse 18. He says, Thus
saith the Lord that created the heaven, God himself that formed
the earth and made it. I did this. Do you see where
it begins? This understanding of God. He's
God our Creator, all right? If God is our creator, what does
that mean? He owns us. If you make something, I make
things all the time out of dead wood. Where are you, Mike? Come
down here, Mike. I make things, there's nothing
more rewarding for me than to take a tree, a piece of wood,
and mold it and make it into something useful. I just love
doing that. That tree doesn't make itself.
That's never happened in the beginning, since the beginning
of the world. Does it? It's got to have a craftsman,
a creator. I love that. And God is the potter. We're the clay. And he made all
these things. My, my. He gets all the glory
for it. He said, I created it. I created
it. And I, all right, what I was
going to say was, whatever I make, I can do with it what I want.
Can I? And that's exactly what God said.
Cannot I do with my own what I will? Can he? Yes. Does he? Yes, he does. David, in Psalm 115 and Psalm
135, says their God can only do what they let Him. But they
said, David, where is your God? He said, My God is in the heaven. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. Whatsoever the Lord was pleased,
that did He in heaven and in earth. It's a different God. Our God. He said in Romans 9,
I can make of the same lump. Are you with me? And this is what God does. We're
all just a lump of clay. He said, I can make of the same
lump one vessel and honor. Elect. Predestined. Purpose to save. And the other
lump. A vessel of dishonor. That's what God said then. Doesn't
it? That's Romans 9. People would
love to take it out of the Bible. Well, you'd have to start way
back and take a lot out of the Bible. Because that came from
this. That came from this. Calm. Clear. He's God. He's God. He made all things. He owns all
things. He does what He will, with whom
He will, because He will. According to His will. It's not
up to anybody's will. Nothing is up to anybody's will
or choice or decision. Nothing. Nothing. Right? He kept saying it. I'm God. God means absolute control. There is none else. There's nobody
else. There's none beside me. None. None. Okay. He's the Creator. All right? He's the Owner. If
He created all things, He's the Sovereign Ruler and Controller
of all things. I make something, I control it.
Right? People say, well, you make man
to be a puppet. That's what you make man to be,
a puppet. Let me ask you something. If I make a puppet out of wood
and I control it, right? What happens if I cut the strings? What's going to happen? It's
going to fall into a pile. Our Lord said, without me, you
can't do nothing. The King's heart's in the hands
of the Lord. The answer of the tongue is with the Lord. Everything. Good, evil. He's in absolute
control of all good and all what man calls evil. I love that. You don't have to
worry. You don't have to fear. You fear
God, you need not fear anything or anyone else. Why? Because
He's controlling it. That's what this book says. That's
what God said. I love that. Love, love, love. Love God. Love God. He's the
owner. He's the ruler. He's the judge.
He's the judge of the earth. He decides who does what, who
goes where. Doesn't he? Who's saved, who's
damned. Doesn't he? All right, now look
at this. Look at verse 20. And I'm going
to end this. All right. He's the judge. And here it says he's a just
God. Verse 20. Assemble yourselves, come. Here
we are. Why are we here? How'd you get
here? So I got in my car and drove. Hold on a minute. Did
you now? Did you come here of your own
free will? This book says. The lot is cast into the lap.
In other words, here, what are you going to do? Well, this is
what I'm going to do. He says, the whole disposing
thereof is of the Lord. Assemble yourselves. I'm so glad
that I'm here. If left to myself, if God left
me to myself like that puppy, I wouldn't come here. For the
longest time, I would not come. Did not he say, no man can? Didn't he? Didn't he say that?
No man can come unto me. Except what? Father, draw it. How? Chords. Lord, don't cut the chords. Don't you want to be God's puppet?
If that's what men say, don't you want to be? Okay, that's
fine. I hope he absolutely controls
every part of me. He does. Assemble yourselves. Come. Draw near together. Either
escaped or the nations. That's us. Escaped the wrath
of God. Escaped the judgment to come.
Escaped, escaped, escaped. Captivity of the God of this
world that God gave men over. He hedges us now. You either escape. They have
no knowledge to set up the wood of their graven image and pray
unto a God that cannot save. Tell ye. Tell them. Bring them. You need to bring them here.
You know what? You need to tell people that worship another God.
You need to bring them here. They're going to hear the God
of the Bible. I love what Luke's daughter said when she was a
little girl one time. They were going to the worship
service. Luke Coffey's daughter. She was real young. They were
going to the worship service and there was a man out there
cutting his grass or something. And she said, Daddy, why isn't
he coming to church? Her mama. And they said, because
he doesn't know the Lord. And she said, well, somebody
needs to tell him. And that's what I'm here to do.
Tell you. Who God is. What man is. and where salvation
is. And we need to save them. We
can't save ourselves. We're dead wood, wet dirt. But those who pray unto a God
that can't save, that wants to save and can't, tell them, bring
them near, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this
from ancient time? What is he about to say? He said,
I declare this from ancient time. The next chapter says, I declare
the end from the beginning. Meaning that he predestinated
all things. Boy, people hate that word, don't
they? The P word and the E word. Not God's people. Elect according
to the four laws of God. Predestinated to be conformed
to the image of God. Oh, thank God. Thank God everything
is. Who said this? Who hath told
it before time began? Have not I the Lord? Verse 21.
There is no God else beside me. Here it is again. Alright, two
things. A just God and a Savior. I'm a just God and a Savior. If you hadn't heard anything
up to this point, listen to this, okay? This is the gospel. There
is no gospel apart from this right here. God is a just God. Holy, she
played the first song we heard tonight, this morning, was holy,
holy, holy. God is holy. Holy, holy, righteous. That means everything about him
is right, sinless, pure, perfect, holy, righteous. The righteous
Lord loveth righteousness. He said, I will by no means clear
the guilty. What does the scripture say?
Romans 3, 19. What the law saith, it saith
to everyone under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and
all the world become guilty before a just God. God is holy, holy,
holy. He said, I will not clear the
guilty. Every sin shall receive a just recompense of reward. What is it? The wages of sin
is what? How then? How can God be just and justify? You want to turn to Romans 3
with me? You know where that's at? Romans 3. Go there with me. Go there. Romans chapter 3. Alright? This is about as basic as I can
give. Romans chapter 3. A just God,
holy and righteous. He says, I will not clear the
guilty by no means. Every sin must be punished. Genesis
6, God looked down from heaven. He said, the whole earth corrupted
my way. He said, I'm going to destroy mankind. But God. One man found grace. God was
gracious to him. Chose him. And that man preached. Noah was his name. And he started
preaching. You know what he was a preacher
of? Righteousness. God's righteousness. And God
had him make a vessel. It's the only way to escape the
wrath of God. Not the love of God. The wrath
of God. Outside that ark. It was the
wrath of God, the hatred of God. Inside that ark was the love
of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God. Where was salvation? In the ark. Are you with me? Well, look at Romans 3, all right?
It says in that red verse 19 to you, every mouth get stopped,
all the world guilty. Verse 20, by the deeds of the
law, no flesh will be justified. By us doing anything. By us quitting
anything. But now, verse 21, the righteousness
of God, without the law, that is, without us keeping it, is
manifested, is revealed by the law and the prophets. Isaiah
45. The righteousness of God, which
is by faith of Jesus Christ. Didn't say in, did it? Say, oh,
Patrick, it says that over and over again. It's not a misprinted. Of. The faithfulness of Christ. Christ living by faith for his
people. Jesus Christ coming down here
as a substitute, as a covenant head, the second Adam. Not fallen. Holy, holy, holy. Righteous. The righteous one. The holy one
of Israel. That's what He's called. He came
down here for His people. Read on. It says, it's unto all
and upon all. Meaning, not here would you have
this. No, no, no. It's unto and upon
all. Like that prodigal son came.
He was naked. He was in rags and all that.
And the first thing the Father says is bring the best robe and
put it On Him. On Him. Knock that ark. It was pitched. Covered. For all have sinned, verse 23,
come short of the glory of God, being justified freely. How? Justified means declared to be
righteous, holy, unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight. Who can do that? God does. Through Christ. By the redemption.
Through His grace. Through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. Read on. Whom God hath set forth
to be propitiation. A bloody sacrifice. A covering
like that pitch on that ark. Through faith in His blood. To
declare what? His righteousness. For the remission
of sin. that are passed through the forbearance
of God to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness. Here it is, that God might be
just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Why
does it say Jesus? Because that man was God. But
He had to live like a man for us in the likeness of sinful
flesh and condemn sin in the flesh. And to be made sin, God
put the sin of all of His people in His body on the tree. And God punished all the sin
of God's people because He's a just God and a Savior. Go back to our text, Isaiah 45. A just and holy and righteous
God. But He's a Savior. And a Savior. And we just read it there. Now
look at this. And let me ask you to see if you say this. It
says in verse 22, Look unto me, and be ye saved. All the ends
of the earth. Who are you looking to for salvation? What are you looking to? If you're
looking anywhere, to anyone or anything, you're looking in the
wrong plane. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and what? Finisher of our path. He says,
I'm God. Christ said that. I'm God. There's
none else. I've sworn by myself. Don't you
love Brother John in Hebrews where he said he could swear
by no greater? This is truth. The word's gone out of my mouth
in righteousness. He uses that word six times in
Isaiah 45. Six times. He says, I declare things that
are right. Verse 19. I declare things that are right.
His righteousness. Christ our righteousness. It
will not return. Unto me every knee shall bow.
Every tongue shall swear. Everybody's going to acknowledge
Jesus Christ someday. Everybody. But verse 24, surely one shall
say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. In the Lord. Noah, why are you saved? Why weren't you destroyed with
the rest of the world? I was in the ark. Shem? Japheth? Weren't you destroyed
by the wrath of God? How did you escape the wrath
of God? I was in the ark. Mary Magdalene? Saul of Tarsus? Thief on the cross? How did you escape the wrath
of God and a judgment to come? Why aren't you in hell as so
many others are? I was found in Christ, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that righteousness
which is by faith of Christ. Surely shall one say, here's
one, you got any more out there? In the Lord have I righteousness
and strength, power, ability. To as many as received Him, to
them gave He the right, the power to become the sons of God, which
were born. The Lord our righteousness. Is
that what you say? What is that name, the Lord our
righteousness? Somebody tell me. Come on, louder. You can do better than that.
Jehovah Sid Kenu. The Lord, our righteousness,
that's his name, isn't it? That's Jeremiah 23, isn't it,
Ron Fannin? Well, in another place in Jeremiah,
it says that's her name. That's your name. Like a man
and a wife, they bear his name. Is that your name? The Lord is
my righteousness. And to him shall all come, all
his people. And verse 25, in the Lord shall
all the seed of Israel be justified. Justified in the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that plain? Plain as I can
make it. And glory. And glory. I told you to commit to memory
a long time ago, and we looked at it. 1 Corinthians 1.30. And
I think if I asked anybody, most everybody in here, to stand up
and quote it, you could. You say, why are you turning
to it? So I won't misquote it. But anyway, here it is, okay? It says, no flesh should glory
in His presence, but of Him are you in Christ. In the Lord shall all the seed
of Israel be done. Of Him are you in Christ. How did you get in Christ? He
put you there. He chose you. Sally Ann, you're
mine. Nobody said elect according to
the four orders of God. And gave you to Jesus Christ
like a child in the womb. And everything He did, you did
it. You accepted it. Of Him are you
in Christ, who of God is made unto us. For us? Wisdom? Is all this the wisdom of God? In Christ? Righteousness. Sanctification. So few people
understand that. And redemption. That according
as it is written, Him that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. Okay.