Oh, God, our help in times of
need. Oh, God, our help in times of
need. Oh, God, our help in times of
need. Oh, God, our help in times of
need. Oh, God, our help in times of
need. Okay, Isaiah chapter one, I'm
in Psalm 35. This first chapter, I didn't plan, I don't plan these
things. The Lord does, and I'm so amazed
and marveled at when he makes things, brings things, the Word
of God at a time when it's so pertinent, when it's so relevant. This first chapter is so very relevant to the times. that we live in, I mean the very
days right now that we're going through, the state of things.
It's relevant to the state of our society, it's relevant to
the state of religion, the state of the church, as he talks about
a remnant. Let's begin here, verse 1. The
vision of Isaiah, the son of Amon. The vision, or that is,
He was a prophet, yes. He is going to, under the inspiration
of spirit, tell some things that have not
yet come to pass. So this is a book of prophecy. However, his vision in that he's
looking at things around. This is what Isaiah sees. This
is the name of this message, the title. What Isaiah saw in
his day. And we can say the exact same
thing. This is what I see in our day. Now let me read on.
The vision of Isaiah which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem,
or that is his land, his country. He's talking about where he lived.
Isaiah lamented the state of things in Israel. Roy, he was, it was a sorry state
of things where he lived, his country. And he's lamenting that. Jeremiah did. Amos did. Keep on. Habakkuk, Nahum, all
of them. Ezekiel lamented. That's the
book of lamentations. It's just that. Jeremiah lamenting
the state of things where he lived. The state of religion,
the state of everything. So this is what Isaiah saw in
his day, and this is what I see in mine. Read on. In the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah. In other words, Isaiah lived
through four administrations. Long ones. Not four years, not
eight years, but long ones. Many years. He lived through
four different kings. Four different administration. This is so relevant. Now, I went
back and looked at each one of these kings. There are days,
and you've read the book of the first king, second king, and
you'll note that one king, and God raised up one king, God puts kings in, or presidents,
or city councilors. God does. All authority Romans
13 says is from God. Well, went back and looked at
all these fellows and one of them would be, would do right
that which is right in the sight of the Lord. That's what he'd
say about one. He did that which was right in the sight of the
Lord. Next one, he did not do what was right in the sight of
the Lord. And the next one, he did that which was right in the
sight of the Lord. Then there'd be about four of them that did
not do what was right in the sight of the Lord. Until finally,
there was none. that did right in the sight of
the Lord. There's no more kings worth a
flip. Now, this is not a political
message. It is not. This is Isaiah 1,
okay? But like I said, it's so relevant,
isn't it? I didn't plan it this way. It does matter who rules. It does matter. It does have serious consequences
upon the country, the state of things. Read it. What happened
when they were fellows like Ahab and Jezebel, you know. Character most certainly does
matter in your ruler. As is the character of the highest
man in office, so is the character of the rest of the nation. It
certainly doesn't matter. Now, like I said, it's no political
message, but ask Isaiah. This is what I saw in the days
of these kings. And as I said, he lamented, he
lamented his day. Now, here's what the Lord God's
going to tell us. This is the Lord speaking, verse
2. He's telling us the state of mankind in general. natural
man. Hear, O heavens, and give ear,
O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." And here's what he says, I have
nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against
me. I have nourished and brought up rebels. That's all they are. Turn to Romans chapter 1 with
me, Romans 1. Now, the Lord is not He's speaking
in a language that we understand. Children, certainly every person
is not God's child. No. But do you remember Paul
at Mars Hill? He said, your rulers say that
we're all the offspring of God. Your philosophers, remember that? He said, your philosophers say
that we're the offspring of God. We said, then if we are, Then
God's not an idol, you see. If we came from Him, He's certainly
not a dead, no hands and no feet. And with our Lord's talking in
a language we can understand, He says, I, the people that are
called my children are supposed to be my children. That is, the
inhabitants of the land are nothing but a bunch of rabble. It's like
if you had all your children were nothing but rabbles. The Lord said in one place in
Genesis, it repented him that he made man. There's nothing
but a bunch of rebels. What if all your children, Nancy,
were nothing but rebels? You wish you'd never had them.
Our Lord is speaking in a language that we can understand. It's amazing, God's Word is so,
so Just so complete, so perfect. Genesis 1 and 2 talk about the
creation and the creation of man. Romans 1 and 2, same thing. Except it talks about the corruption
of man. The creation of man and how man
got corrupt. Isaiah 1 mentions this. Genesis 1, Isaiah 1, Romans 1.
Look at Romans 1, verses 19 through 22. In light of What the Lord just said, I brought
up a people, children, rebels, nourished them. Verse 19, that
which may be known of God is manifest in them, to them, in
them, for them, for God has showed it unto them very clearly. The
invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen. Only a fool, David said, only a fool would say there's
no God. Only an out-and-out rebel would
say, there's no God. Freedom. Being understood by
the things that are made. His eternal power and Godhead,
they're without excuse. No excuse. Especially these educated
fools. That's what he's going to go
on to say, these scientists and all that. To look into what they
look into and say, they're fools, man, they're fools. They're rebels
is what they are. You remember Brother Jellett
talking about this? It's a conscientious, willing,
concerted effort on the part of man to disprove as a creator.
Then you have to answer to him. Because it's clearly seen. You
know, verse 21, when they knew God, that is they know, they
know there's a creator. They've got to know. A doctor
looking into this marvelous body and just out and out rejecting
it. They glorified him not as God, neither were thankful. Don't give God a thought or a
thanks. But became vain in their imagination. Ridiculous in their imaginations.
And their foolish, so their foolish heart was darkened. Who darkened
it? God did. Verse 22, here's these fools
I was talking about, professing themselves to be wise. They became
fools. Now, this has never been truer
of a generation than it is now. These words have never been more
relevant to a day than right now. Education, you know, is
going to save us. It's going to damn us. Back to Isaiah 1. So
God says, through a preacher, Isaiah is doing the preaching.
He's the one that's saying this, but the Lord's speaking. I've nourished and brought up
a bunch of rebels. I've nourished them. I've given them everything
they've got. Every bite of food, every little
gray cell in their head that they can use to create the internet
or whatever. I've given them all that they
have. Their wisdom, their strength,
their food, their clothing, but they don't give me a dollar.
As a matter of fact, they reject me entirely. Look at verse three. He says
the ox knows his owner. The ox knows his owner. Ass is
master of the crib. Israel does not know. Israel. My people don't even consider. You know, to call someone a dumb ox or ass It's a terribly insulting thing
to the ass. Honestly. Terribly insulting. He's sitting there. An ox knows
he's on him. A dumb ox knows who owns him. A dumb ass knows who feeds him
and acknowledges That big dumb blonde horse I
have, and they are dumb. I don't care what these airhead
animal lovers say, they're dumb. Ladies, your cats are stupid.
They are dumb. You tell her everything I say.
And these dogs, men. Dogs are dogs. You know that,
Rick, don't you? They're nothing but dogs. Worthless
dog. They are dumb, but I tell you
what, God made them that way so they submit to this thing. May have to make a dumb thing
so they submit to this idiot called mankind. Right? What's he doing now? But that big dumb blonde horse
of mine, and she is dumb, but she knows I own her. She knows
I own her. She knows I feed her. She knows
I take care of her. And I'm telling you, every morning
I walk outside, she's waiting on me. And she calls on me. Every morning
I walk outside, she's waiting at the fence, Roy, and she calls
me. It's late, aren't you? Honestly, she calls on me. Does
a man? Does a man get up in the morning
and call on his job? If I'm anywhere on the farm,
she's looking to me. She's looking to me. Just thinking,
is he going to show me some attention or food maybe? Does man give
God a thought? Now, let me ask you who the dumb
one is. This is what God says. The dumb
ox knows his owner. The ass knows where he gets his
food and goes low into it. Now, who's the dumb one? They don't even consider
it, he says. Ah, sinful nation. Verse four, he gives many adjectives
here to describe the sinfulness and corruption of mankind. Sinful,
ah, sinful. That's how he starts it. Ah,
sinful, full of it, sin, full of sin, laden, it says, with
iniquity, laden, heaviness, weighed down with iniquity, plumbed full
of it, evil doers. He said, a seed, or that is an
offspring of evildoers, children that are corruptors. You see
that? Not just corrupt, but that is they corrupt everything. Everything
they touch, they corrupt it. Corruptors. They've forsaken
the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One
of Israel. Provoking, provoking, provoking. The men are provoking
God, aren't they? I mean, they're absolutely provoking
God. Daring God. Provokers of the
Holy One of Israel unto anger. Look at verse 4. They've gone
way backward. Would you turn real quickly to
Isaiah 59? Isaiah 59. This is so relevant also to our day. Isaiah 59. I think of this quite
often, these verses. Isaiah 59, clear commentary on
our day and our society. Verses 14 and 15. Isaiah 59 and 14, judgments turn
way backward. Judgment, that is good sense, is backward, way backward. Way backward. Why, man is so
backward and so upside down, so perverted, that now man is
a god, and god's no more than a man. That's how backward man is. They
call good evil now. That's how backward it is. Good
is evil now, and evil is good. Way backward. Read on. Justice
standeth afar off. Justice? Well, yeah, we've heard
of such a thing. Truth is falling in the street,
it can't enter. Don't want it in here. Yea, truth
faileth, verse 15. God's truth doesn't fail, you
know that, but it fails to make an impression on man. Except
those he intends it to. Look at that, verse 15. He that
departeth from evil, whether it be religion or whatever, he
that departeth from evil, why, he's a prey. He's a target. They're after him. The Lord saw it, and it displeased
him. You know, the Lord's, His eyes
behold, His eyelids try. He looks on things. Looked like,
right before He destroyed the planet, says He looked down,
and all He saw. His imagination of man's heart
was evil continually from his youth up. He said, I wish I'd
never made man. In the language we can understand,
Dan, he said, I wish I'd never made man. Look, here's the problem. We've
got a sick head and a bad heart. Verse 5 and 6. Isaiah 1, 5 and
6. He says, why should you be stricken
anymore? You revolt more and more and
the whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. Why stricken
anymore? Let me tell you how foolish and
ignorant man is. God says, why should you be stricken
anymore? Why should I bring judgment anymore?
Why should I bring calamities anymore? It won't make any difference. God can open up the windows of
heaven and that literally pour down and flood man, wash away
all his possessions. God can, the winds blow, a huge
hurricane or something, winds blow and absolutely just wipe
out everything. Go ahead and build his castle back
on that sand. God, the earth opens up and literally
swallows him up. Man, He doesn't even acknowledge
that God did it. The only ones that do is insurance. An act of God. Right? They won't even acknowledge
God does it. Insurance. And that's just a
way out to keep them paying. My, my. How sick, and he's sick,
isn't he? The problem is a bad heart. A heart that hates God. That's
the problem. Verse 6. From the sole of the
foot, here's mankind, here's a natural man. Oh, there's some
good in all of us, they say. Preachers. There's some good
in all of us. Huh. Let's hear what God says.
Here's what he says. Verse 6. From the sole of the
foot to the crown of the head, there's no sense. But wounds and bruises and putrefying
sores. I read this in a new modern version. They took out putrefying. It said bad, bad wounds is what
it said. Putrefying sores. That's dead,
rotten, stinking flesh. They have not been bound closed.
Running sores. That's what that's talking about.
You know, God's Word doesn't mince words. That's awful, isn't it? That's
what God sees in the human heart and in this mass of humanity.
And people, that's what He sees in us outside of Christ. Outside
of Christ. Whole heads sick, whole hearts
fainting. Verse 7, He says, your country
is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. We land, strangers
devour it, and your presence, right in front of you, strangers
devour it. It's desolate, it's overthrown
by strangers. It is relevant. This was literal. In Isaiah's
day, this was not only spiritual truth, but it was literal. Isaiah's country of Israel was
destroyed. It was destroyed, burned up,
it was ashes. And he was, he was in captivity.
And oh, this was before, right before he's prophesied of. Jeremiah's
the one that was in captivity, battle. Isaiah is prophesied
of. And Israel was going to be burned
up and inhabited and ruled by godless people. And then that
rebel. And once again, it's not a political
message, but it's just Isaiah 1. That this nation that we live
in professed at one time to be one nation under God. Thanksgiving's coming up. You know it's against the law
now to mention God on the airwaves? You listen, you listen to the
radio and all the announcements they're going to say, we need
to give thanks. They never say to God. They never mention the
name God. But we need to give thanks to
who? Aunt Susie for cooking turkey, I reckon. God's not in the equation. It used to be God fearing men
and women is desolate, desolate. Like Isaiah said, desolate. If
anything, it resembles decency, literally burned up, fires of
avarice and so forth, inhabited rulers, inhabited by rulers who
are strangers, especially religion, especially religion that is strangers
to the truth, strangers to the covenant of grace, strangers.
Man, these preachers today don't have a clue what the truth is,
do they? They don't. have a clue. They're not within a thousand
miles of the truth. I mean, it's a stranger to the
truth. You say you're painting an awful
bleak picture. Not as bleak as it is. That's what they said
to Isaiah. Isaiah, have you got... That's
what they said of old Micaiah. Remember Micaiah, that prophet?
Ahab said he never says anything to them. Don't call him, get
any preacher but him. He never says anything good. There's nothing good to say. God's word never has said anything
good about mankind. Not in any era, not in any generation
did any prophet ever say anything good about his day. And each one you would think
is worse, must have been worse than That man's name isn't the
other. Well, it is now, because man
has multiplied on the face of the earth, like the days of Noah. And read on. And this is so literal. The daughter of Zion, verse 8,
the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard. The daughter of Zion, who's that?
That's a church, supposed to be a church. What is it? Well,
it's a little cottage in a vineyard. It's a cute little church house.
Church in the Wildwood, you know, where we meet every now and then
and sing gospel hymns. Cottage in a vineyard. That's
a modern concept of religion. My daughter and I were watching
a movie the other night on the, what was it, the Revolutionary
War. Patriot, that's what it was.
Every preacher you ever see depicted on TV. They're the most worthless, pitiful,
pathetic, foolish, ignorant, awful laughingstock. They're
fools. They're utter fools, aren't they? Isaiah was no fool, buddy. And Liza was no fool, the last
guy he had. Well, there's a nice little cottage
in the vineyard now, and the preacher, he sure doesn't cause
any trouble. Pretty little country club, women rectors. I'll not
tell you what I'd like to call them. Women rectors who have
animal blessings on the front yard. There's one up in town
here. Every year they have the way they bless the animals. Everybody
brings their dogs and cats in and they take them out and they
bless the animals. Cottage in a vineyard. Isn't
it cute? Isn't it sweet? A lodge in a garden of cucumbers. A lodge in a garden of cucumbers. A meaningless little clubhouse,
charity organization, powerless and useless social club run by
ignorant fools. That's what the church is today.
And it's never been worse. It's never been worse. Religion,
Roy, is an absolute laughingstock to this world. It is. It's laughable,
isn't it? That thing he gave me, if it
wasn't so blasphemous, it would be funny. Here's the last verse. To us. Here's the good news. Here's
the gospel. I'm making you uncomfortable. But this is what Isaiah saw in
his day. This is what Isaiah saw in his
day. And this is what I see in my day. See, my wife and my daughter
are shamed. They're not shamed, but in this
generation, that their husband and their father is a preacher.
Because they're fools. Fools. And I'm almost ashamed
to be called a Christian in this day, because it's absolute nonsense. To the thinking person, it's
absolute absurdity. Religion, Christianity is an
absolute absurdity, absurd thing. I'm lodged in a garden of cucumbers. That's about all it amounts to. Oh, here's the blessed gospel.
Here's the blessed good news. Here's the blessedness of the
Lord upon us, except the Lord of hosts hath left unto us a
very small remnant. A remnant, Paul said, according
to the election of grace. A remnant, according to the election
of grace. That's where Paul got that in Romans 9. That's what
Paul's quoting in Romans 9. A remnant, according to the election
of grace. That the purpose of God, according
to the election, might stand. I looked this verse up, Brother
John, in one of these modern versions. You know what it said? It said, except there'd been
some survivors. Survivors. Survival is for the fittest,
isn't it? Like that show, you know, the best man wins. This
is not talking about survivorship. This is talking about elects.
This is talking about a remnant. This is talking about a portion.
This is talking about a tenth. This is talking about God pulling
one out of a brand from the burning. But we were just like all these
people, and still like them to a great degree. And except the
Lord had left us, John, you and me. He brought us into this little
remnant according to the election of grace. We'd be like Solomon
and Martyrs. A remnant according to the election
of grace, a chosen few. Paul called them a holy generation,
a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, a peculiar people. I like that word. Peter said
that. A peculiar people. Boy, we're getting more and more
peculiar. Brother John was talking to me
about eating a fellow just the other day. He was talking to
me about the gospel a little bit. The truth is so absolutely
foreign and strange. People look at you like you're
crazy. To think that God is God? Do you really think that? Do
you really think God is all powerful? Do you really think that God
does what Jesus and man does? Do you really believe that? That's
peculiar. You really believe in that old
bloody religion? You still hold to that old bloody
religion? This thing about blood sacrifice? One man having to die a bloody
death to pay for your guilt and your sin? You really believe
that? You're peculiar. You really believe that That
the one you're talking about is Jesus, is sitting right now
on a throne. Literally sitting on a throne
right now, reigning and ruling. He's actually controlling all
of this. Now look at this. Look at all this chaos going
on here. You really believe God's in control of everything? Come
on. And you really believe that He's
coming back to this earth? That old story about going to
destroy this planet, fire and brimstone, you really believe
that? Yeah. You know, Paul was standing before
his day, and he stood up. I love this part. And he was standing before kings
and all those haughty, tauty people in the day. It was Aristotle
before him. I get those Greek dudes mixed
up. Plato and Aristotle. Some of
the four apostles come after him. Anyway, it was Greek philosophy. He lived in those days, you know.
They were smart. They were brilliant. And he stood
up before me and said, I'll tell you what. He said, after the
way they called Herestand, So I believe everything written
in the Prophets, and so worship I the Lord God. After what they call heresy is
just what I believe. And I believe in all, every word
of it. I is a remnant. Folks, there's a very small remnant
now, very small. It's getting smaller and smaller.
One of the prophets, I forget who it was, said it's like a
scattering of corn on the mountaintop. It's like you take a handful
of corn and throw it. It'd be hard to find. It'd be hard to find. You'd have
to really look hard to find. You'd have to go up the holler
in West Virginia, all the way up to, what's the name of that
road, John? Katy, wherever Katy Baptist is.
I still don't know. I've been going there 40 years. What's the name of that road?
You don't know any better. Let's go up in the middle of
Podunk Holler, Lantana Road. Let's go way out to find this place. Don't you love the word
except? A whole lot does. Oh, Lot loves that word, except.
Oh, Lot would love Ephesians 2, 4, or more than anything,
but God. Who's rich in mercy. Lot, see,
Lot realizes, hey, I act like a sodomite sometimes. I'm living in Sodom. And I look
and act like them at times. Oh, Lord chose me, Lord taught
me, Lord bought me, Lord brought me, Lord redeemed me, Lord revealed
Himself to me, Lord laid hold on me, Lord had to drag me out. Had to drag me out. And that's what He'll do to us,
too. If He hadn't, we'd be like Solomon. We'd be like Solomon
tomorrow. And folks, this land is. This
land is. It is. It's Solomon tomorrow. except the Lord had left us a
remnant. He'd not left himself without a witness. Even in this
little... You think about it. You think
about the goodness, the mercy, the electing grace of God Almighty. This is not New York City. This
is not Los Angeles, California. This is not Detroit, Michigan.
This is not Washington, D.C. A land full of millions of people.
This is not Paris, France. This is Rocky Mountain, Virginia. Thirty-five, seventy-five hundred
people. We've got, we've got a remnant
here. We've got a remnant. It's amazing,
isn't it? And it's that way all the way
to Crossville, Tennessee. Not now, because it's across
Vegas. Oh my. Except. Accept the Lord. That's what
our grace is on you today. And Isaiah, you haven't changed
a bit. It's worth it. It's what we see in our day.
And we see the Lord's hand here and how grateful we are. All
right, stand with me. Our Heavenly Father, thank you
for this remnant of grace, this place that you've chosen to put
your name here. Sprinkle blood on the doorpost
in the middle, and we thank you. And we thank you. The gospel's
here. When that day of overflowing
scourge of your wrath, it'll not come to us. Those in Christ,
thank you, Lord, because we're no different. We're no different. We're not one with matter. We
say we're the lot, except the Lord said we're justified. We
wouldn't even believe it. We thank you for mercy, for grace,
for the gospel of your sovereign, redeeming, saving, eternal, effectual
grace in Christ. It's in his name we have met.
Amen. Bye.