Good morning. Does my heart good
to see you? Let's turn to Isaiah chapter
8. Isaiah chapter 8. Though we meet just like other
times, it's not like other times, is it? Troubles times, troubling times,
fearful times. There is undeniable fear all
over the world, isn't there? So many scriptures, and the scriptures
are where we turn, how God instructs us. So many scriptures just keep
flooding my mind, my heart, and I'm so thankful. The Word upon
which God has called me to hope. There's a Psalm 14, you know
that. The Lord looked down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand. Any that did seek God. For any that understand
why things like this happen. God's people did. Children of
Israel saw it very clearly then, as the hand of God upon an unbelieving
world. That same Psalm 14 is also Psalm
53. It's the exact same words, except
he adds this at the end of it. After looking down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if there was any that could
understand, any that could seek after God, any that could call
on God for mercy or forgiveness. It says, then they were in great
fear where there was no fear. Meaning, a world with no fear
of God, all of a sudden, everybody's in fear. It's a fulfillment of God's Word,
because God is truth. His judgments are truth. I say,
hey, we've looked at this before, but it will mean more to us now. Isaiah 8, verse 12, he said,
Say ye not a confederacy to all them to whom this people say
a confederacy, neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify
the Lord of hosts Himself. And that is, settle it in your
heart and mind, and as a testimony before men, let Him be your fear
and let Him be your dread. Tell men, tell everyone everywhere,
God did this. Chapter 8, verse 21, it says
of the people of the world, they'll pass through this world, hardly
to stay it in hunger, come to pass to be hungry, and fret themselves,
and curse their king, their God, and look upward. They look unto
the earth, and behold trouble, and darkness, deadness, and anguish,
driven to darkness. Well, that's now, isn't it? says of some, verse 2, the people
that walked in darkness have seen a great light. The children of Israel, it says
in Exodus 11, right before the Lord sent that plague of death
upon Egypt and took his people out. It says there was a darkness
over all the land such as you could feel. You could feel it. And can't you just feel it? Many
have been walking around saying, everything is strange. It just
feels strange. Well, that's what, nothing is
new. And there in Exodus 11 it says,
but the children of Israel had light in their dwelling. The people of Egypt didn't know
God, didn't fear God. Darkness and anguish and trouble
and fear. It says they couldn't even see
themselves. Man can't see themselves for
what they are. Can't see God. Can't see the danger. Can't see
all of this. But the entrance of God's Word
gives us light in dark times. Do we fear? Do I fear? I'm not going to stand
up here and tell you I don't fear anything. Of course we do. David said in Psalm 56, what
time I'm afraid. Oh, he faced fears, didn't he? All of God's people. You know,
the modern church has not really faced any fear. I'm talking about
late 20th century and now the 21st
century. No real fear. The early church, all the saints
of the Old Testament lived with fear. All around them. The early
church. In Acts, it says they met together
for fear of the Jews. They were afraid for their lives.
And so they met together to do what? To call on God. Do I fear this virus? No. More people are dying of the
flu right now. In the last 12 months, 46,000
people have died from the flu in the United States. Earlene got the flu. Did we get it from her? Who gave
it to her? God did. God's Spirit did. Right? Who's doing all this? We shouldn't fear things. Read
the article in the book. We shouldn't fear things. Fear
God. Do I fear sickness or death?
Not really. But now, were the children of
Israel afraid when they were in that house when the death
angel, the plague, the last Lord called it a plague? What was
it? It was some kind of sickness
that took them. People like that. Could have been the same thing
we're facing now, couldn't it? They didn't know what it was. We don't know what it is now.
But were they afraid in those houses? Sure they were. But what gave them peace and
comfort? The same thing, the same comfort. I'm comforted, though. I told
Mindy, I said, I wish my dad was pastor of the church right
now. I wish he was standing up there
preaching to you. I wish he was making the decision. Do I fear? I fear, David said, I fear reproach. The world already thinks of us
as some kind of cult because of the treatment. Now here we
are meeting. And I find nothing in the scriptures
but commands and encouragements and promises that tell us to
meet and call on God until such a time as our nation says, don't
do it. We're already thought to be lawless,
you know, rebels, but no, we're law-abiding, God-fearing people. The thing the whole nation needs
to do right now is to gather collectively and call on God
and repent unto God. And maybe, like Nineveh, the
Lord will spare us. So that's what we're doing. We're
going to pray and call on God for people that don't fear God
and don't call on God. We're going to pray for them.
Like Job did his children, right? That's why we meet. Someone has
already rebuked me and been critical of me, a believer, for us meeting,
and that had hurt. Accusing me of putting people
in harm's way, well, no, I'm trying to act by faith. I'm trying
to build us up on this faith. This might be the last time we
meet. I need this. I need you. You sent me, many
of you, if not most of you, sent me encouraging texts at a time
I needed it badly, especially after a discouraging one. A time
I needed it badly. Paul one time said to the Corinthians,
who's weak and I'm not weak? He said, who needs comfort? And
I don't need comfort. He was in peril all the time.
Yes, he was. And he said, I'm comforted by
the comfort where we're comforted. He said, I'm comforted by you
comfortably being here this morning. And hopefully God's Word is going
to give us all some great comfort. It might be the last time we
meet. Would God we had approached this every time we ever met,
and I think it's going to be the last time. Huh? Because it
might be. But it might not be that virus
is one of the brethren. The Lord's going to take one
of us soon one way or another. So that makes this so vital then. Now, go with me to Isaiah 30.
There's no Bible study this morning, but there kind of is in opening
remarks, really. We're going to look at Daniel
9. Isaiah 30. This is a chapter that I have
us look at all the time. Isaiah 30. Oh, is it ever so
needful and vital now. Verse 1, Woe to the rebellious
children, saith the Lord, that take counsel. but not of me. They cover with a covering, but
not of my spirit. They add sin to sin. That's unbelief. They go down to Egypt. They look
to the world. They haven't asked it of my mouth.
They strengthen themselves and strengthen Pharaoh. They look
to their government. They look to their leaders. All the Lord
has to do is send one little germ. And then, like David said, It
will make the world realize that they're just men. Oh, what carnal security our
nation and, yea, the whole world has lived in for so long, hasn't
it? Trusting in riches, trusting in technology. Well, our technology
is going to get us out of here. Oh, really? But may we trust in the Lord. Look at Isaiah 30, look at verse
7. The Egyptians helped us in vain.
So I have pride concerning this. Isaiah did to his generation.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, all of them. Their strength is to
sit still. Come and sit as at other times.
And be still and know that I am God. Right? Look at verse 15. Thus saith the Lord God, the
Holy One of Israel, who cannot lie. In returning and rest shall
ye be saved in quietness and confidence. Confidence in who?
God. His Word. His promises. That'll be your strength. But
some would not. Say, no, we'll flee upon horses. So we come again. No. Troubled times. We read and hear the Word of
God for hope, for help, for comfort, as at other times. But it's just
much more urgent now, isn't it? I thought it meant now we're
going to read the Scripture. Turn with me to 1 Kings chapter 8. 1 Kings 8. I think I told you
to read this, did I? Could have read so many. There
is so much scripture. So many exceeding precious promises
whereby we may escape fear. I thought about reading Proverbs
3. Listen to this. I'll just read a portion of it.
Some of you love Proverbs 3. Maybe you don't know the last
few verses, but it says this in Proverbs 3. Trust in the Lord
with all thine heart. Lean not to thine own understanding.
Be healthy and able. Marrow to your bones. But over
in the last part, it says, When you lie down, you won't be afraid.
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Be not afraid
of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when
it cometh. The Lord shall be thy confidence,
and shall keep thy foot from being taken. I thought about reading 2 Chronicles. Listen to this. 2 Chronicles,
where Jehoshaphat is 20. Jehoshaphat, they were faced
with a foe that put great fear on them. And Jehoshaphat, the
king. He's the king, but he's a foe. And he's prayed this prayer.
He said, We have no might against this great company. Neither know we what to do. Our
eyes are upon thee. And it says, All Judah stood
before the Lord with their little ones, their wives and their children. And then the Lord sent a young
man, Jehaziel, with one message. You know what it was? Stand still. Don't be afraid. And then Jehoshaphat, after that
message, Jehoshaphat said, well, let's sing. And he said, the
Lord removes the enemy. The enemy right now is fear.
I thought about Habakkuk 3. Lord, we've heard your speech
and we're afraid. But in the midst of wrath, you
remember mercy. We chose this. 1 Kings chapter
8 is the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the temple,
but it's so much more than that. This is a prayer concerning Christ
and His Church. Christ is the temple. You know
we don't look to a building or even a place or Israel for help. We look to a person. And yet
the temple is his church where Christ meets. It's where God's
people meet. And that's where Christ is promised
to be. And God's people meet together
to pray for all of these things that Solomon prayed for. Alright, let's look at it. It
says, beginning with verse 22, Solomon stood, actually he kneeled,
over in verse it says he was kneeling, but he stood before
the altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the congregation
of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, and he said,
Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above
or on earth beneath, who keepeth covenants and mercy with thy
servants that walk before thee with all their hearts. who has
kept with thy servant David, my father, that thou promisest
him. Now spakest also with thy mouth,
and has fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day. Therefore
now, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David, my father,
that thou promisest him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man
in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel. so that thy children
take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast
walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let
thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou stakest unto thy servant
David, my father. But will God indeed dwell on
the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee, how much less this house that I have built. Have thou respect unto the prayer
of thy servant to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto
the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee
today, that thine eyes may be opened toward this house, night
and day, this church, even toward the place of which thou hast
said, My name shall be there. that thou mayest hearken unto
the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place,
or in this place. Hearken thou to the supplication
of thy servant, of all thy people Israel, when they shall pray
toward this place." Now, as I said, Christ is the one in whom we
pray and pray to through whose name. So think of Christ and
where His people meet in Him. Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling
place, and when thou hearest, forgive. Any man trespass against
his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to
swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house, then
hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servant, condemning
the wicked to bring his way upon his head, justifying the righteous
to give him according to his righteousness. When thy people
Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have
sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess
thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this
house, then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people
Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest
unto their father. When heaven is shut up, there
is no rain, because they have sinned against thee. If they
pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their
sin when thou afflictest them, then hear thou in heaven, and
forgive the sin of thy servants, of thy people, this truth, that
thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and
give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people
for inheritance. If there be in the land famine,
if there be pestilence, blasting, mildewed, locusts, but to be
caterpillar, if their enemy besieged them in the land of their cities,
whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be, what prayer
and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people
Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart,
and spread forth his hands toward this house in Christ, Then heareth
thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give
to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest.
For thou even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children
of men, that they may fear thee all the days that they live in
the land which thou gavest unto our father. Moreover concerning
a stranger that is not of thy people Israel, that cometh out
of a far country for thy name's sake. For they shall hear of
thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and thy stretched out arm,
when he shall come and pray toward this house, or in this house,
or in Christ's name. Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling
place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to
thee for. That all people of the earth
may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel. And
that they may know that this house which I have built is called
by thy name. If thy people go out to battle
against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall
pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen,
toward the house I have built for thy name, then hear thou
of heaven their prayer and their supplication. Maintain their
cause. If they sin against thee, for
there is no man that sinneth not, And thou be angry with them,
and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away
captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near. Yet if they
shall bethink themselves, come to themselves in the land where
they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication
unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying,
We have sinned and have done perversion, we have committed
wickedness. And so return unto thee with
all their heart, with all their soul, and the land of their enemies,
which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their
land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which
thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name.
Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven,
thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy
people." that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions
wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion
before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion
on them. They be thy people, thy inheritance,
which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt from the midst of the
furnace of iron. that thy eyes may be opened unto
the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of
thy people Israel, to hearken unto them, and all that they
call for unto thee. For thou didst separate them
from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance,
as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou
broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God." And it was so when Solomon made
an end of praying, all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord. He arose from before the altar
of the Lord, kneeling on his knees with his hands spread to
heaven. He stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel
with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given
rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised.
There hath not failed one word of all his good promise which
he promised by the hand of Moses," he said. Nothing. The Lord our
God be with us, as he was with our father. Let him not leave
us, nor forsake us, that he may incline our hearts unto him,
to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments and his statutes,
his judgment which he commanded our father. And let these, my
words, wherewith I have made supplication for the Lord, being
nigh unto the Lord our God, day and night, that he maintain the
cause of his servant, the cause of his people Israel at all times,
as the matter shall require, that all the people of the earth
may know that the Lord is God, there is none Let your heart,
therefore, be perfect with the Lord and our God, to walk in
his stature, to keep his commandment as it is done. That's our prayer
today. All right, let's stand and sing
a song. And what better song could we
sing right now than 268, How Firm a Foundation, These Saints
of the Lord, number 268. Let's stand and sing all the
verses.