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On Jul 16, 2008: Isaiah 42-43 42:10-43:28 · Teachings On This Day On FerventWord

• You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. ...who say to the molded images, you are our gods. So we can see that God is still contending with those who would worship false gods. Now, as we discussed last week, idolatry was something they really struggled with in those days, and it still exists around the world in the same form in which they did. They would have images in which they would bow to. Yet here in our society, in our culture, we don't usually bow to such things and idols, but we do have those gods that are subtle before us that, well, they... creep into our lives and they begin to take the place of God in our priorities, in our passion, in our love. And we begin to place more emphasis on those things rather than God. And there's a great danger in that and it is just as well idolatry. And so God hates idolatry. He hates for anything to take his place in our lives because again, he is worthy of all of our praise. He And so if our passion and our priorities, if our love goes to something else instead of God, he becomes a very jealous God because he is worthy of all of our praise, all of our passion, all of our love. And so God is contending against false gods and those who would worship them. He says he's going to come forth like a mighty man, like a man of war. He's going to cry out a shout of war. He's going to prevail against his enemies. Who are his enemies? His enemies are those who worship false gods. Remember Jesus said, if you're not for me, you're against me. He meant this. This is exactly what is true. To not be for Jesus Christ, to not be for God, is to be against God and his enemy. If he is not the priority and passion of our life, we become enemies of God, fighting against him. And he says in verse 14, I've held my peace a long time. For a long time, this world has been enemies of God. For a long time. Even Isaiah is saying this several thousand years ago, but even still to this day, God has been patient. He's been patient bringing judgment upon the earth. He's been patient dealing with sin and the injustice that is in the world. We learn in 2 Peter 3 that the reason why God is so patient is because He's not willing that any should perish. He desires for all to come to repentance. He desires for everyone to have a relationship with him. And that's why judgment has not come yet. That's not why we have not entered into the tribulation period yet. But there will come the day where Jesus will say, I've held my peace a long time. I've been still and restrained myself. And now I'm going to go to battle. Now I'm going to take care of business. Now I'm going to deal out judgment for those who have rebelled against me and not continued in relationship with me. God is fighting against those who worship false gods. In verse 17, he said, When we choose to place other things in the place of God in our lives, we are at enmity with God. We fight against him and we disobey what he has commanded us. Now, at the same time, we find... Also a message of hope. In verse 16 he says, I will bring the blind by a way they did not know. I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them and not forsake them. So at the same time as he's bringing mountains low and drying up the vegetation and just really rocking as he's on his tour of war, he follows his pattern that he often does and that is that he will tear down and then rebuild and then build back up. For example, the tribulation period, which this passage may be talking about. It's probably a passage that has dual fulfillment in the Babylonian army that was going to come and conquer Jerusalem. It was fulfilled in that time, but also will be fulfilled during the tribulation period. And there, the tribulation period, when God brings out His judgment, it's something yet to come. God's judgment is going to be poured out. This earth is going to be demolished, wiped out. And yet, following that period, Jesus Christ is going to come and establish his kingdom for a thousand years. He's going to tear down. There's going to be great devastation, but then he's going to rebuild. It's one of the ways that God works. When things get so bad that it's not worth trying to repair, it's better to just tear it down and then rebuild from scratch. Those who trust in other gods will regret it. Because those who trust in other gods will not get to experience God saying, I'm going to lead you. I'm going to make darkness light before you. The crooked place is straight. Those who trust in God, they will be blessed. God will build them up. They'll turn to him and he'll lead them and guide them. He'll protect them. But those who worship other gods, those whose passion, whose priority, whose love belongs to someone else or something else besides God, they will be greatly ashamed. Let's look at verse 18. He says, Verse 20. Here God now begins to talk to his people. He's talking to Israel, the nation of Judah, really, the people of God. And he calls them deaf and blind. He says, hear you deaf and look you blind that you may see. Now, the fact that he commands the deaf to hear is an indication that it's not a disability that they're not able to overcome, but it's a choice that they've made and they have become deaf. And he says, look you blind that you may see. Not that they're unable to look, but they have chosen not to look. What does that mean? He says in verse 20, they see many things, but they do not observe. They have the ears, they hear the things, but they do not hear. They're not listening. They're not paying attention. Now, what is God talking about in all this? Look, we have an amazing God. In those days, God's saying, look at what I've done. Sing to the Lord a new song. I'm worthy of praise. Look, I've proven to you that I am God and that there is no other. And yet there's many of my people who are blind and deaf. much like the Pharisees. In John chapter 9, Jesus worked a miracle. He was talking about, well, he was talking to a blind man and speaking spiritually, and the Pharisees kind of overheard him, and they said, what, are we blind too? And Jesus said, well, hey, if you didn't say that, you wouldn't be. But now that you claim to not be blind, now you're guilty for your sin because you claim to know God, you claim to have this relationship with God. You're guilty for your sin. The same thing is with the children of Israel. They claim to know God. They pretend to know God. But they're not listening to Him. They're not looking for Him. They're not establishing a relationship with Him. They've become blind and deaf. He's been trying to break through to them. By this time in Israel's history, Isaiah is not the first prophet to come to them. There's been other prophets as well. But they haven't been paying attention. They haven't been listening. The people in general begin or continue to get worse and worse, turning from God. Although God was sending messengers and God was sending prophets and trying to break through, they were ignoring. They become blind and deaf. They would observe. They would see, but they would not observe. They would listen. Their ears would be open, but they actually would not hear. God will tell Jeremiah a little bit later that My people come before you as people do and they sit and listen to you. But you're nothing more than a, to them, you're nothing more than someone who speaks well or lovely. They just enjoy listening. They go for the entertainment. You're just like someone who sings beautifully and plays well on an instrument. They're just going for the concert. They're just going for the entertainment. But they don't hear. They don't apply. They're not taking God's word and living by it. This is the same issue that God is dealing with. They've become deaf and blind. They don't know God. Although they claim to know God and they have the name of being God's child or one of God's people. We see this even further in verse 21 through the end. It says, Verse 23, Verse 23, Verse 1. So here's God explaining how they've become deaf and blind. He starts out in verse 21 saying, God's not the problem. His righteousness is not the problem. His law, no, it's honorable. He will exalt it. The law of God, his covenant with the people, that wasn't the problem. What was the problem? Well, verse 22 goes on to say, God's people is a people that's been robbed and plundered. They're hidden away in prison houses and in holes and They're being plundered. No one says restore. They're being preyed upon, but no one delivers them. So God's people are in a very difficult or bad state. They're being attacked. They're helpless. They're defenseless. No one is defending them. But it's not the law that's the problem. It's not God's covenant that's the problem. What's the problem? Going on in verse 23, he says, who among you will give ear to this? Who will pay attention? Who will listen and hear? Who is it that gave Jacob or Israel, the land of Judah, who gave God's people for plunder? Who allowed them to be plundered and to be robbed? And God answers the question. He says, was it not the Lord? God was allowing these things. Why? He goes on to say, he against whom we have sinned. For they would not walk in his ways. They were not obedient to his law. The Jewish people knew the word of God. And in Deuteronomy chapter 28, 29, and 30, Moses lays out before the people all of God's law. And it was with a promise. If you do what God has asked, if you follow what he has laid out, you will be blessed. And all of these things will happen to you. You'll have bountiful crops and you'll have plenty of things. You'll be blessed. You'll lend to nations you won't borrow. You won't be in need. You won't be desperate. If you follow God, if you obey his commands, life is going to be good for you. You'll be incredibly blessed. But on the other side of that, if you don't follow his commands, if you disobey his commands, if you don't walk with God, then all of these other things will come upon you. Your enemies will be against you and you'll be attacked and you'll be plundered and you'll be robbed and you'll borrow and you will not lend and so on and so forth. And so it was the exact opposite. You had the choice. And Moses says, I lay before you life and death. choose for yourselves what are you going to do are you going to follow god and reap the blessings are you going to disobey god and reap the consequences now here we are many years later now the children of israel they're being robbed they're being plundered all of the the curses that god promised for those who disregard the law they're being accomplished on the children of israel and yet they have no idea why they don't know why they don't know what's going on they can't figure it out They don't know why they're being plundered. They don't know why they're being robbed. And yet it's exactly what God said would happen. And that's why he says, he against whom we have sinned, for they would not walk in his ways. They were not obedient to his law. They had the answers right in front of them. They knew the word of God, and yet they were blind and deaf. They had all kinds of reasons and justifications for their idolatry, for their sin, for the things that they were doing. They would not hear God. They would not turn and repent at his word to them. And so verse 25, therefore he poured on him the fury of his anger and the strength of battle. It has set him on fire all around, yet he did not know and it burned him, yet he did not take it to heart. They did not take the time to understand what was going on. They did not take the time to hear from God and respond. And that is why they were in the position that they were in. It's why God calls them deaf and blind. Unfortunately, it's the state of many who named the name of Christ as well. Deaf and blind. We talked about on Sunday in verse 16 of Titus chapter 1, those who claim to know God, they profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. They're those who claim to know God, claim to walk with God, but they're deaf and blind. God speaks, they don't listen. God gives them instruction. They don't apply it. They don't hear what he's saying. They don't know what's going on. They don't know why they're in the place they are in their life. They don't know his will. They have no idea what's going on because they're blind and deaf. We're called to walk in relationship with God, to listen Him, to hear Him. He desires to speak to us, to reveal Himself to us. He's not standing off far off so that we cannot know Him and be confused all the time. There's times, yes, that God wants us to walk in faith and He doesn't reveal Himself sometimes to the extent that we would like. But sometimes, There should be a sense in us that we know where God is calling us and leading us and how He's working and we're in relationship and constant communication with Him. But unfortunately, many Christians are blind and deaf. They don't know God. They don't know how to walk with God. They don't know how to communicate with God. They don't know what it means or what it is like to hear from God and have Him speak to their life and speak to their heart. They're blind and deaf. God desires a real relationship with us. He has provided for us a new covenant. There in the time of Isaiah, they were under the old covenant in that they needed to approach God by faith, but through the law. They had to be obedient to God's law in order to have a relationship with God. But now through Jesus Christ, he has accomplished that on our behalf. He has fulfilled the law on our behalf. We still approach by faith, but it's by faith in what God has done for us by sending his son to die on the cross for us. And by faith in Jesus Christ, we have full access to God, to have relationship with Him. Even to a greater degree is it for us when we're blind and deaf. It was bad for Israel, but for us, for you and I, we have a greater advantage in that it's not on the basis of our works and our keeping of the law, but it's on the basis of what Jesus Christ did for us. In other words, we simply come to Him by faith. And we don't have to be super spiritual to hear from Him and have relationship with Him. We don't have to have been a Christian for 50 years so that now He can speak to us. No, we can have full relationship with God. You and me, exactly the same in God's sight by faith in Jesus Christ. We have full relationship with God. And sometimes we think, man, God speaks to this person more than he speaks to me. Or he desires, you know, and he reveals himself in ways. And sure, God has different relationships with us all. But, you know, we have all the same access. And he desires to speak to you. He desires for you to hear him. Don't be blind and deaf. Spend time with God. They were blind and deaf because they were not obedient to the things God That he was speaking to them. And we'll get into that a little bit later. But let's go now into chapter 43. Verse 1. So now he starts out with contrast. Here's how you are. You don't listen. You're blind. You're deaf. I tried to... I encourage you, I sent messengers, but you would not walk in my ways. You were not obedient to me. Therefore, this judgment is being poured out upon you. But now, God says, he reminds us who he is to us. Number one, he created us, he formed us, he redeemed us, and he called us and he says, you are mine. You know that you are his? He created you. He formed you. He redeemed you. He sent His Son to pay the price that you could be redeemed and set free and delivered. And He called you. He's the one who called you out of darkness into this glorious light. God is the one who has done everything and he says, you are mine. You belong to God. And the sooner you realize that, the better. The sooner you realize that you will not be satisfied or happy, you will not enjoy life until you realize that you are his and that your job in life is to please him. Your job in life is to walk with him because you belong to him. You were created by Him. You were formed by Him. You were redeemed by Him. And He called you. You are His. Verse 2. He says, Verse 5. Verse 6. Here God now continues on with the idea of fear not. Picture for just a moment the place that Israel's in. They're defenseless. They've been attacked by Assyria, remember? And the attack was great. There was great cause for fear. God delivered them. But that didn't mean that they returned to their full glory. They were still there. They were feeble. They didn't have a huge army. They had very little. And there was enemies all around. In fact, Babylon was coming down. They were in a very bad space, a very bad place. Yet God says, okay, you've been in this place, but now, now, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. God is letting them know, I haven't cast you off. I haven't rejected you. Even when we're blind, even when we're deaf, even when we walk away from God, even when we run away from God, God hasn't cast us off. God says, I'm going to be with you. I'm going to be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you, Jesus said. Now notice what he goes on to say. You'll walk through the rivers and then when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Now, what happened in Babylon? Can anybody remember? What happened in Babylon with a fire, maybe a furnace? Anybody remember? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They're cast into the fiery furnace and then they were burned up, right? No. What happened? Nebuchadnezzar threw them in. He says, hey, didn't we throw in three guys? How come there's four? And the fourth one looks like a son of the gods. And they called him out and they walked out of the furnace and all of the ropes had been burned, but their clothes, their body, not even a hair had been singed. God says, when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. See, God's faithful to his word. He says, look, you've been this way. You've ignored me. You've been blind and deaf. But look, I'm going to be with you. You walk with me. You follow me. Look at verse 4. Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honored and I have loved you. This is the way that God feels about you. Even when you blow it, even when you run from him, even when you've messed up royally. He says, look, you're precious in my sight. Man, you've been honored. I loved you very much. God wants you to know that you are so special to him. to him. And he says, therefore, I will give men fear for you and people for your life. He sent his son in your place because he loves you. And so he says in verse five, fear not for I am with you. Now he goes on in five and six and seven to tell us that he's going to call them back. He's going to bring them back. He's letting them know you're going to go into captivity. You're going to be taken far away. But that's not the end. I'm going to bring you back from the east, from the north, from the south. I'm going to bring you back into your land. He says, everyone who is called by my name is going to be brought back. Those that I have created for my glory, those I have formed, yes, I have made them, those I'm going to bring back. And they're going to be restored in the land of Israel. Verse 8. Verse 8. Verse 10. Verse 10. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there is no foreign God among you. Therefore you are my witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am he, and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I work, and who will reverse it? Here God goes through this great discourse to say, I am God. There's no other God. Nobody can undo what I've done. They can't thwart my plan. I am God Almighty. He starts out by calling all the nations together. He says, let's everybody be gathered together. Let's all be assembled. He says, let them bring forth or bring out their witnesses that they may be justified. Bring out the witnesses for what? Again, he's dealing with those who are worshiping false gods. He's dealing with those who are blind and deaf when it comes to the things of God. And God says, bring out your witnesses. Prove that the ones that you worship are true gods. Again, he says, show us the former things. Tell us the things that have come to pass. Tell us about creation. Tell us about the things that only God would know. He gives them the opportunity. He calls them, like we saw last week, into the courtroom. Okay, present your case. Present your witnesses to prove that these other gods are truly gods. But then he goes on to say in verse 10, you are my witnesses, says the Lord. So when God calls everyone together, those who would want to be witnesses for false gods turn out to be witnesses for God. Romans chapter 14 verse 11 tells us, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to God. Every one of us, every person on the face of the earth, every person who has ever lived will stand before God. They will bow before God and they will confess to God. They will be witnesses to God. They'll stand before God and they will have to testify, You are God. Although I worshipped all these other things in my life, you are God. Every person will acknowledge that he is God, that there is no other. Those that have died now know the truth. Whether they're with God or eternally separated from God, they know the truth, that he is God. Every knee will bow to him and every tongue will confess to God. And when you stand before God, you can't plead the fifth. I don't want to condemn myself. I'm just not going to say anything. You will bow. You will confess. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. There will be no excuses. There will be nothing else to say except as we stand before him to acknowledge that he alone indeed is God. God says, you are my witnesses. I am the Lord. There's none besides me. I'm the one who saved. I'm the one who proclaimed. It's come to pass that Therefore, you are my witnesses that I am God. It says in verse 13, God was. He is God Almighty. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand, he says. Who can deliver what I've done? Who can reverse what I've done? Only God Almighty is God. There is no God aside from him. Verse 14 says, Here now in verse 14 and 15, God focuses on the nation of Babylon. And he says, Even though you don't listen to me, even though you've been blinded, Because I love you. Because for your sake, the nation that is going to take you captive, I'm going to bring them down as captives. Even though they rejoice in their ships, even though they have great army and they're advanced technically, I'm going to bring them down as He says, I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. He gives the authority for this statement showing I am going to make it come to pass. I am going to do this. Before Israel was ever taken into captivity to Babylon, this is Isaiah who's writing this and this hasn't happened yet. Babylon had not conquered Israel at that time. It was some 100 years later or so that it would take place. Before it even happened, 100 years before Babylon Israel was even taken into captivity. God promised. We'll see in a couple of chapters, he promised to let Israel go. But here he's promising to deal with Babylon. He's going to judge Babylon for what they've done to his people. Verse 16. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power. They shall lie down together. They shall not rise. They are extinguished. They are quenched like a wick. Verse 18. Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? Verse 21. Here in verses 16 through 21, God promises to do a new thing. Verse 16 and 17, we see God making reference to Egypt and how he dealt with the armies. You remember how God dealt with the armies of Egypt? He says, Thus says the Lord who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters. The Red Sea was split in two and the children of Israel were able to walk across on dry ground. Then in verse 17, who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power, they are extinguished. They're quenched like a wick. The waters came back to their original place as Pharaoh's army was there in the midst of the sea and they were wiped out. They were extinguished or quenched like a wick. Then in verse 18, he says, do not remember the four things, the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now that's God's message to them as they come out of Egypt. They come out of bondage. They've been set free and God says, I'm going to do a new thing. He desires to take them into the promised land. But it's even still as they're facing this threat now of Babylon. They're facing this threat of captivity. And God says, hey, it's terrible times. It's difficult days. You're struggling. You're messed up. You've been attacked in all kinds of ways. Hey, you're not going to remember the former things. I'm going to do a new thing. And it's going to be like a new spring bursting forth. And a road in the wilderness, the things that you never thought you could do in the paths you thought you could never cross, there's going to be roads there. It's going to be possible. God's going to do a new thing that has not been done before. He says, Just as God has delivered us in salvation. By believing in Jesus Christ, being baptized into his body, not water baptism, but becoming a part of the body of Christ, it's the parallel of the children of Israel being brought out of Egypt. We once were in bondage, we were enslaved to sin, yet God brought us forth, he set us free by delivering to us the gospel message, that we could believe it and be brought out of our slavery. And at that time, for those in that situation, God says, don't remember the former things. Yeah, life is miserable without God. You're not satisfied. You cannot be satisfied without God. But God says to that new believer, I'm going to do a new thing in your life. There's going to be roads where you never thought there could be roads. You're going to have a spiritual life where death was before. There's going to be vibrant life in relationship with God. Great promise for those who believe in Jesus Christ. But you know, it's not over there either. Jesus told us in John chapter 16 verse 33, in this world you're going to have great tribulation. We're going to have tough times. We're going to be persecuted for the faith. There's going to be the enemy that comes against us. We'll face spiritual warfare. We'll face just normal trials of life on top of that. And there's... This message to us, do not remember the four things, but the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. You know, God has yet new things for you. Even if you've been a believer for a long time, God has things to come. God promised in 2 Corinthians 5.17 that anybody who is in Him If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed. The former things are gone. Behold, all things become new. God says, I'm going to do a new thing. But that's not the end of the new thing that God does. Because for you and I as believers in Jesus Christ, there is a life still yet to come. And in Revelation 21, 4, it tells us God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain. The former things have passed away. God still has some incredible exciting things for us as we enter into eternity with him and the form of things they're passed away they're gone and what God has before us is new paths new plans new purposes wonderful things God says for you sometimes we think man heaven kind of sounds boring like we're just gonna be doing the same thing all the time God says no I'm gonna do a new thing I'm gonna do a new thing I'm gonna do a work that you'll be amazed by I'm going to do a work that will bless you incredibly. Verse 22. But you have not called upon me, O Jacob, and you have not been weary of me. I'm sorry, you have been weary of me, O Israel. You have not brought me the sheep for your burnt offerings, nor have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings, nor wearied you with incense. You have brought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities. Here God says, look, I'm going to do a new thing. I'm going to do an incredible work in your life, he says to Israel. But you haven't called to me. The whole point of God... And his relationship with man and his work with man and giving the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, the law that they could come to him. The whole point was so that they would have relationship with him. The whole point of sending Jesus Christ, the purpose for it all, was not just so that you don't have to go to hell, but it was so that you can have relationship with God. And here's God calling out to them, I have all these plans for you. I want to do a new thing, but you're not calling out to me. You're not calling upon me. You've been weary of me. You've been dreading your relationship with God. You've been bored in your relationship with God. You feel it a drudgery and it's too much and it's too difficult and you've been too lazy to walk with me essentially is what he is saying. He says, look, you haven't brought me your sacrifices. You haven't brought me the things that you're called to bring me. No sweet cane with money. You haven't brought me the fat of your sacrifices. You haven't satisfied me with your offerings. Instead, you've just burdened me, God says, with your sins. You've wearied me with your iniquities. Under the old covenant, this is how they would be able to have relationship with God. They would come and they would bring the offerings. And the offerings God would accept as atonement for their sin that they would be able to enjoy relationship with him. They have not been following the covenant. They haven't been participating in the covenant that God offered to them. Today we're under the new covenant. Same concept, except the offering has already been given. There's no need for us to bring the offerings any longer. The offering was Jesus Christ there upon the cross. But we still need to participate in the new covenant. We need to continue in relationship with God. God says, but you have not called upon me. Have you been calling upon God? Have you been walking in relationship with Him? Have you been spending time in the presence of God? Hebrews chapter 10, verse 19 through 25. I'll read it to you in just a few minutes. But it talks about the fact that we have a new covenant. And so we have the right, we have the opportunity to go into the presence of God. God is not far off. He's not watching from a distance. He's right with you. And all you have to do is by faith enter into his presence. Believe in him and call upon him and spend time with him. In prayer, in the word, in fellowship amongst one another. God desires a relationship with you. But have you been calling upon him? Have you called upon God and participated in that new covenant? Taking advantage of what God has done, what Jesus did upon the cross, that you could spend time in his presence. Look at verse 25. Verse 25. He says, I, even I, who... I even I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins. Hallelujah. Verse 26, put me in remembrance. Let us contend together. State your case that you may be acquitted. Your first father sinned and your mediators have transgressed against me. Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary. I will give Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches. God says, look, your first father sinned. Adam in the garden, he sinned. And as a result, every human being after him had a sinful nature. We have sinful natures. Our mediators, those who have gone before us, they've transgressed against God. So he says, state your case that you may be acquitted. God says, look, I'm the one who blots out your transgressions. I won't remember your sins. I'll forgive your sins. So put me in remembrance. Remember me, call upon me, and your sins will be forgiven. Or if not, come before me and state your case. And we'll stand before God and say, well, you know, Lord, um, My dad left when I was just a kid and my mom had a hard time raising me and so I ended up with this outlook on life and this attitude and I really had a bad thing about church because he said he was a Christian and on and on and on. State your case. Why don't you believe? Why don't you walk in relationship with God? Why don't you spend time with Him? Why don't you believe His Word? Why don't you serve Him and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? State your case. It won't be enough. Your father sinned. Your problem, my problem is It's the sinful nature that we have. And God is taking care of it through his son, Jesus Christ. And by faith in him, we don't have to be bound to that. And all of our excuses are gone. There's no case that we can present to God that would justify us not believing in him, us not walking with him, us not having a relationship with him. God says, look, I won't remember any of your sins if you will remember me, if you'll walk in relationship with me. I won't remember your sins. I'll cast them as far as the east is to the west. They'll be gone. You can have forgiveness. You can be set free. You can have eternal life. You can have abundant life. You can have all of the things that I promise if you will walk in relationship with me. It's all fixed. Everything in life will work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. It's all fixed. It's all fixed. By a relationship with God. For the rest of eternity, it's all fixed by a relationship with God. For our sins to be forgiven, for all things to work together for good, for God to take the worst things in our life and use them for His glory for the rest of eternity, it's all fixed by a relationship with God. By us choosing not to be deaf, not to be blind, not choosing to ignore the things that God has said, but to live in a real life relationship with Him. Day by day, moment by moment, walking with God. listening to him, hearing from him, sharing with him, and being obedient to the things that he instructs us to do. Every one of us is bound in a sinful condition and we will be judged accordingly unless we participate in the new covenant, unless we decide by faith in Jesus Christ to approach God, to spend time in his presence, to walk with him and have relationship with him. The worship team is going to come up now, and I want to encourage you during this first song to spend time in the presence of God. And I want to read to you Hebrews chapter 10, verses 19 through 25. It says, And having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. The author of Hebrews says, therefore, since we have Jesus Christ, since we have this new covenant, let's enter into his presence by faith in him, by the way that he opened for us when his flesh was broken there upon the cross. He says, let us draw near to God in full assurance of faith. This evening, I want to encourage you as a leader in worship to put your faith and trust in God. Ask Him to take you into His presence. Spend time at the feet of Jesus. Don't neglect your walk with God. Don't neglect your relationship. Don't become blind and deaf, but draw close to Him. Draw close to Him. He desires to walk with you. He desires relationship with you, and He extends to you the opportunity. Just as much an opportunity as... Pastor Chuck Smith has, as Billy Graham has, as Greg Laurie has, as Tom Reese has, as Rob Escalante has. God has given you, he extends to you, the opportunity to spend time in his presence, to know him, to walk with him, to experience his love, his goodness, to hear his voice, to understand his will. He desires for you to know. So let's worship the Lord and spend time in his presence. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.