Through the Bible (Isaiah 24–25)

[Music] hey a peak recurs tonight we get to gather together and spear it and let's just take this time to worship Jesus be thou private all of my heart and I'd be your else to me save that thou thou my best by day or by night nor sleeping the high praises my love be thou my and to [Music] and me [Music] my true [Music] dwelling and I with you riches I heed not nor man's empty frightened heretics [Music] only the first Android heart hi King of heaven my treasure [Music] heeey - [Music] root toys [Music] whatever befall still be my Oh [Music] still be mine Oh [Music] why ice no I swear like Scarlett [Music] the power of your blood through the Wonder you're through my faith in you [Music] boy my sins were like scarlet [Music] forgiving through the power you're through the Wonder you're through my faith in you I know I can [Music] through the Wonder [Music] my faith in you that I can why I [Music] raised this life up from the dead my dad raised this life up from the [Music] this my birthday Oh Payne this my father robert de jesus paid it all and all to him I owe sin after crimson stain he was in what is he he why did he snow he washed it white as snow though my sins were scarlet [Music] my hope is built from nothing less then Jesus blood here righteousness till I trust the sweetest frame holy trust in Jesus Christ's own cornerstone weak made strong in the saviours love through the storm he you when darkness seems to hide his face I rest on his unchanging grace [Music] and stormy my girls within [Music] with Christ [Music] that's it yours [Music] Hey [Music] when he shall come with trumpet only either just till his rise dismissal still before the through Christ alone cornerstone the weak made strong in the saviours love through the storm he Christ come [Music] strong saviours love through [Music] store she [Music] or his bird Lord you are the rock of ages that is immovable unshakeable Lord we're thankful that we can put our feet upon the rock that doesn't move I pray father that tonight we would just put our attention and our affection on you Lord that we would just continue to worship you not just in song but also in your word Lord too to be able just to take in the scriptures and let your word do its work so we invite you we pray your blessing now in Jesus name Amen amen think Sophie and welcome it's good to see you tonight we are ready to dive right into Scripture so grab your Bible and turn with me thank you turn with me to the Book of Isaiah Isaiah we've been traveling verse by verse chapter by chapter book by book if you would turn to Isaiah chapter 24 and that's where we are in our through the Bible study don't forget by the way with prophecy update this this coming Friday night wow it's coming fast v June 5th and I'm gonna be covering some stuff about just what the Bible says about the last days and what's going on in the world you know I was kind of focused on a little bit of the Middle East and stuff like that we may still do some of that but I also have quite a bit to say about what the Bible says about what's happening right now with the unrest and the rioting and you know all the stuff concerning you know just the tensions that we're seeing and I think the Bible tells us much about that and so we'll actually be talking about some of that stuff too so if you're interested but let's let's let's get into the scriptures and some of this will kind of make sense here in Isaiah in light of what's happening today Isaiah is a book of prophecy as well like revelation like Daniel like Ezekiel there are prophetic things about it and we come to kind of what is called the little apocalypse here in Isaiah chapter 24 25 26 and 27 they call that the miniature or the little apocalypse and it it's like a little book of Revelation really in these chapters that were in tonight and it's gonna start with kind of a heavy part really chapter 24 is the end of the world so you might say well that's gonna be very current it feels like the end of the world in some ways right now you know what's the coronavirus the lockdown and everybody getting sick it feels like the end of the world and then if you if you add that on to you know the economy collapse and people losing their jobs 4 million americans are part of me 40 million Americans are out of work because of the coronavirus and businesses are going under and then on top of that you know with the racism issue and then this you know this the the protests that turned into you know riots and man you just kind of feel like boy is this is this the end Lord but these are these are things that are birth pangs that I think we're seeing and that's getting intense and it's getting more frequent which tells us the time is close I love that you can use the Scriptures to know about what's going on and and if you really read the scriptures rightly I believe that even in the midst of all the trials and troubles and birth pangs we should have joy and we should be rejoicing and another thing we should also have is peace we should have peace in our hearts that passes understanding because right now a lot of us can't really say we understand everything that's going on in America and you know it's amazing when you hear what people are saying the problems are today and you ask what the solutions nobody agrees and and it's really quite an amazing thing the the conspiracy theories and information and misinformation it's just cause so much you know consternation and struggle but I believe the Christian we uniquely get to have a piece that goes beyond understanding we get to have a piece in our heart because of the Prince of Peace if you miss Sunday's teaching you know you should really catch up on that because we spent a lot of time talking about that even you know George Floyd and that situation that happened brutal brutal deal and we'll probably taught talk more about that on Friday night at the prophecy update but I just love the Bible the Bible is just so good and I don't want to be a tourist when it comes to knowing the Bible I want to be you know expert I want to be an adventurer not a tourist I like to do things that are you know going deeper and that's why we take Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings and go right through the scriptures and we dive deep I came across this story is kind of funny a candidate for a church membership was asked what part of the Bible do you like best and he said I like the New Testament best then he was asked what book in the New Testament is your favorite and the answered the book of parables sir and then they asked him to relate one of the parables to the Membership Committee you know like tell him of one of the parables a bit uncertain he began he said this once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves and the foreigns grew up and choked the man and he went up and met the Queen of Sheba and she gave the man sir a thousand talents of silver and a hundred changes of raiment and he got his chariot and drove furiously and as he was driving under a big tree he got his hair caught in a limb and left him hanging there and he hung there many days and many nights and the Ravens brought him food to eat water eat food and drink water and one night while he was hanging there asleep his wife Delilah came and cut off all his hair so he fell to the stony ground and it began to rain and it rained forty days and forty nights and he hid himself in a cave later he went on and met a man who said come in and sup with me but he said I can't come in for I have married a wife and the man went out into the highways and the hedges and compelled him to come in and he came to Jerusalem saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window up on the wall when she saw him she laughed and he said throw her down out of there and they threw her down and he said throw her down again and they threw her down seventy times seven and the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full now whose wife will she be in the end of the judgment the Membership Committee agreed this indeed was a knowledgeable candidate and approved him for membership I I laugh at that because I feel like some people have sort of that level of biblical knowledge where they know enough to sort of sound like they know Bible stories and using the right lingo and but man knowing the heart and the what's behind the scriptures and and and then applying that to our lives you know that that's the hard part is is seeing people who are saying man I'm gonna live out what I'm studying and learning in the scriptures and and letting the the Bible be our boundary and our standard man if you let the Bible beat not not what's hot popular or hip or what everybody else is doing not what everybody else is thinking you know one of the things about being a Bible person and a Christian is you're gonna have to go against the flow of everybody that's just the way it is narrow is the path that leads to eternal life broad is the way that leads to destruction and I find that it's really easy for Christians today to sort of take the broad path and and and that is to you know do the stuff that's hip or popular or even seemingly right but man we got to be careful in this day because one of the patterns is that you know in these last days is people calling good evil and evil good and and and everybody just jumping on board I think we have to be really careful and we'll see kind of in Isaiah here how man things are gonna come down don't forget that the world's coming to an end and it could be sooner than later and Isaiah chapter 24 talks about that very topic so if you want to know what the end of the world is gonna be like got a look in the book right here so Isaiah 24 verse 1 it starts off in verse 1 says behold the Lord maketh therefore pardon me maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turns it upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof that's a tough start right there the earth will be made empty and make it'll turn it into waste rubble is the idea and then the phrase turning it upside down is kind of an interesting one in the Hebrew some of your margins there read you know it perverted the face of the earth in other words taking what we know normal and tweaking it the face of the earth and and that that's congruent by the way with the other apocalyptic sort of mentions of the end of the earth because the mountains are going to be removed the islands of the ocean are gonna disappear I mean that's going to change the face of the earth a lot and and that's something you can count on toward the end but there is a language there that makes it sort of interesting where it does imply the theorists probably the face of it will be sort of perverted the Lord will flip it around or tip it over can you imagine now I know it tends to be sort of fringe science but people do wonder why does the earth wobble right now if there's a little wobble in the earth when its spins on its axis and you know and of course you know the science they don't know really a lot of things about why the earth does what it does but but the question is is it possible for our the polar axis to have a shift or even a flipping upside down can you imagine if that happened slowly and gradually would we even know but if it happened quickly I'm pretty sure we'd know it's interesting the language here it says it'll turn the world upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof when I was a fifth and sixth grade kid I was popular for one main reason I could you know flip the merry-go-round out on the playground faster than most and so all my buddies would get on the merry-go-round come on Brett so I would go out there and start spinning and spinning and and I could get it going so fast and eventually you'd see little bodies start pure flying off the hook off the merry-go-round because I couldn't hang on any and everybody tumble into the sawdust outs we had an art playground of sawdust and and you know it was just it was just funny to watch the you know centrifugal force you know that was too hard and so this is kind of the imagery of what's gonna happen the earth flipped over and yeah habitants scattered or kind of flipped out and maybe even only a few would survive this moment or this time when this happens and so this is the beginning of chapter 24 the earth being turned upside down now tuck that away because we'll come back to that turning the earth upside down and just maybe towards the end of tonight or as we wrap up but as it turns out terra firma is not so firma it's gonna tweak it's gonna be defaced and tweaked out and in the destruction period and verse 2 it shall be as with the people so with the priests as with the servants so with his master as with the maid so with their mistress as with the buyer so with the seller as with the lender so with the borrower as with the taker of usury so will the giver of usury to him and the land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled for the LORD hath spoken this word so you've got this idea of man when things go this bad it's not going to help you if you're rich or poor if you're powerful or weak it's gonna be the great equalizer when the Lord intervenes the day of the Lord and He pours out his wrath upon a christ-rejecting sinful world suddenly all the classes and money and banking and all that it's gonna mean nothing that's the idea of all these comparisons in verse 2 and that's something that I think that's gonna come up even in the next chapter about the great equalizer we're gonna see how the Lord will do that and and right now the world scratches his head because you know there's there's people that feel like they're you know left out and and you know there's people that feel like they're not as fortunate or privileged we talk a lot about privilege in in these days and and the Lord is the one who's gonna actually solve that problem but it's gonna be a little different than what we all would a picture or think but it's gonna happen like this and the land is gonna be emptied and utterly spoiled and that says at the end of verse er II the Lord hath spoken his word that when the Lord speaks something it's as good as done it's going to happen that's that's the the heavy part now all that to say you know some people believe that this is just the beginning it makes you wonder how many people are gonna survive during the tribulation period when all this stuff kind of cataclysmically comes down but that's that's just something you know when you read the book of Revelation chapter 6 or 19 you see hailstones pounding the plan at hundred pound Ale stones pounding the planet you see earthquakes and mountains being removed you see the Sun being dark and the moon being darkened out and red as well and there's all kinds of mentions of just kind of catastrophe sort of things along with humanity adding to the catastrophe you know it seems like when things get worse humans make things even more worse it's a little bit like we had a bad enough with the coronavirus that sort of been out of our control but now things are even worse because of what we're doing to ourselves because of sin but that's what's gonna happen in the last days as well we're only seeing like a sneak preview right now but in verse four says the earth mourneth and fadeth away the world languages and fadeth away the haughty people of the earth do languish the earth is also defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the laws and changed the ordinance broken the everlasting covenant now by the way if you want to be kind of a Bible student on this what covenant are we talking about here it's really probably talking about the noahic the Abrahamic covenant is is possible if we're just talking about the Jews here but there was a covenant that God made with Noah and it had to do it the the rainbow and the rainbow was not an LGBTQ symbol back then it was a it was a symbol where God said I will use this bow and a rainbow to promise that I will never destroy the earth by a flood by water ever again that's a promise from God but the promise didn't say he would never destroy the earth again it's just by water by flood that was a promise and and there was a covenant there made so you can study the noahic covenant but when that covenant is broken which was meant to be an everlasting covenant it says here in verse 5 then the earth has been defiled with the inhabitants thereof and man we could talk about what that covenant of Noah includes but one of the things that we can see is the corruption that was happening on during the time of Noah and and there was a corruption not just in sinful behavior but also a construct a corruption of the seed of man and there's a there's a funny thing that a touristy reading through Genesis you know and the whole story of Noah and Genesis chapter 6 you know you might miss it but Noah was the one who hadn't been corrupted in his family you know where it says there in Genesis it says that Noah was was the one guy that had not been corrupted let me read that to you it says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord these are the generations of Noah Noah was a just man and listen perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God interesting was Noah perfect well the answer is no no it was not perfect well why does the Bible say he was perfect in his generations it has to do with his genealogical or you might even say his DNA or his his heritage of family and it has to do with what happened way back in Jinja or earlier part of genesis chapter six verse one memberís says it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and took them to be wives of which all they chose and the Lord said my spirit shall not always strive with man it's not always gonna not gonna always strive to hang with men to keep men safe for he is also flesh and his days shall be hundred and twenty years so after the flood and the pre-flood eras called the antediluvian world and remember they were living to be a thousand years old back then before the flood but now the Lord saying man's days are gonna be limited because of what he's doing with this and then it says and because of that there were giants in the earth in those days and also after that the sons of God came into the daughters of men and bear children to them and the same became mighty men which men of old men of renown or men of reputation bad bad reputation and that's the where we get that word Nephilim there were Nephilim in our giants in the land and the point is there was a corruption of the seed when these and I don't have time to go into all the details of what was happening here but it seems that there were demonic entities or fallen angels that were you know coming down to these were not like the Greek gods of you know having sexual relationship with with men but the idea it was more like these demonic entities somehow involving themselves with humanity caused there to be this sort of corruption of the genetic code if you would and they were corrupt in all their generations except for Noah Noah was like the last new that that still had none of that corruption will he say breath there were giants after the flood that came back like Goliath and the Philistines did they have corrupt corruption in their genes probably well where did they get it if Noah was pure maybe know his wife maybe know his sons daughter-in-laws there were eight people on the ark that were laughs lasted through the flood now I'm telling you all this because this is the thing about Noah's there was a a pure genetic part of him as well not that he was just a nice dude but he was perfect in all his generations and he walked with God so the Lord spared Noah and his family and saved humanity through them now we'll come back to those demons that were the Bible calls them particularly disobedient they did something that God did not permit them to do but they did it anyway and so they've been stored away for a particular season they've been not been on these demons that did this have not been around the earth according to the Bible but they will be again someday we'll leave you hanging there for now but well I will get back to that hopefully later on so all that to say the earth inhabitants you know it's it's basically saying they've defiled the inhabitants of the earth we become so sinful there's a point of no return where God says that's it and that's seen in verse 5 of our text here in Isaiah 24 verse 5 they have transgressed the laws changed the ordinance broken the everlasting covenant which is the noahic or frustrated the covenant of Noah which kind of means we're like the days of Noah Jesus talked about that like in the days of Noah so with the time of when the Lord would return again so there's a great link to Noah's day and our day and the corruption of Noah's people in time and the corruption of our people in our time that's why it is interesting by the way to see what we're doing scientifically with genetic work in you know they they found the skinny gene just last week somebody claimed in the news and you know that you know as people that we all know and love that can eat whatever they want all day long and they're still skinny they claim to have found that gene and it makes you wonder what are they gonna do and they're gonna try to build in the you know the skinny gene something like god I'll sign me up man give me the skinny jean you know but know there's some people still skinny jeans but I don't do the skinny jeans but all that to say the the the idea of genetic manipulation that's something we're playing around with and and I wonder if that has something to do with the kind of this corruption that's talked about in the Bible in the last days so all that to say there's a point where they transgressed so far the Lord says that's it so the earth mourns and fades away by the way this this explains excuse me the the whole ending of the earth you know some people are saying the earth seems to be winding down and you know people are saying we sense that you know there's global warming or global cooling or climate change or and they're trying to figure it all out and stuff and I just don't know about all the science you know I've done a lot of reading about global warming and what-have-you but I I you know it's hard when there's so many political things involved with stuff that's supposed to be scientific and so it becomes very difficult but there's something this is where the Bible is very clear the earth is in fact tired the earth is winding down it says right here verse 4 the earth mourns and fades away the world languages and fadeth away you know it's like that scripture in Hebrews chapter 1 where it says in verse 10 it says thou Lord in the beginning I've laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands they shall perish but thou remain us and they shall wax old F does a garment and as a vesture or a piece of clothing shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not feel God's the same yesterday today forever he's never gonna change but the earth is fading like an old piece of clothing have you ever had to throw out that favorite you know pair of shorts or that shirt or that jacket was so comfortable but finally just got so holy and threadbare that you had to throw it away it was a bummer well the earth is like that it's got a shelf life and eventually it's gonna pass up and the Bible says in chapter 24 of Isaiah talking about the end of the world the earth is going to be tired and mourning and languishing and fading and I think that's what we're seeing we're seeing that today along with the people of the earth the ha feel of the earth as it says here defiling the earth and transgressing the laws and the ordinances this all makes sense to me of what's happening today and it just to me shows that we're getting closer to the end of the world the events and all the climate change if you if you want to ascribe it to whatever that's your thing but the Bible says this is what's gonna happen God is allowing this to happen well by the way do we just go because we know the earth is gonna be folded up like an old garment do we just go and trash the earth of course not I think we should be good stewards of this earth and I think we should take real care of this earth I don't know that some of the people that think they know how to take care of this earth I'm not sure they in the best judgment on that but I do believe that we should be good stewards of the earth and that's something we're gonna be responsible for according to the Scriptures well verse 6 therefore hath the curse devoured the earth what curse is that the curse of sin on curse that man brought in in the Garden of Eden so therefore the curse that devoured the earth and they that dwell there and are desolate therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left the new wine mourneth the vine languishes all the merry hearted do sigh the mirth of tablets ceaseth the noise of them that rejoice endeth the joy of the harp ceaseth they shall not drink wine with a song strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it the city of confusion is broken down every house is shut up that no man may come in sounds like the coronavirus to me every house shut up that no man may come in and you know this whole time of quarantine has been kind of a bummer and silent and there's people aren't playing music and people aren't having concerts and I get it as funny how we can see how this could and on a small less perhaps grand scale I think we've seen what coronavirus has done to the world by shutting it down did you see it you know Italy those people trying to sing on their back porches you know all together and their little communities and singing songs it was really sweet and everything but man during this time when the end of the world is gonna come nobody's even gonna try to do that it's gonna be so miserable and brutal and the city will be full of confusion verse 10 and verse 11 there is a crying for wine in the streets all joy is darkened the mirth of the land is gone in the city it is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction wow this is the end of the world that Isaiah's talking about and he's describing what it could look like and again I just I find it interesting that you know some people are thinking is this the end of the world I'd say that what we're seeing happening with rioting in the streets and our you know buildings being burned down and and and just the whole thing that's gonna look like that but it's gonna be even more global and more ugly than what we're seeing right now that's gonna be what it looks like so there's gonna be sort of a darkness and a lack of joy now notice verse 6 it says the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left so in this destruction it's gonna sum out there's gonna be a burning nature the flood was the first way God destroyed the earth but he promised not yet again but the second times gonna be a burning and you know 2nd Peter tells us about this in fact second Peter jotted down in your notes in 2nd Peter chapter 3 it says in verse 6 talking about the last days the end of the world in 2nd Peter 3:6 of the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men but beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day the Lord is not slack concerning his promise in other words not just say no whatever and you know lazy but men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance man I love that scripture why isn't the Lord destroyed this earth yet people say why isn't God intervened because God wants no one to perish he's patiently waiting for the hearts of you know stubborn men to repent of their sins and that's his mercy and it says don't count God as a slacker but I understand that he's being patient wanting many more to come to the Lord but verse 10 the day of the Lord you guys know what that is because we've been talking about it in the book of Isaiah the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up man that's that's that's a global warming right there there's gonna be burned up the Bible says it only it's gonna happen quickly not over millions of years so that's important to know that so you say breath this is really encouraging the Earth's gonna burn great thanks but but we need to understand what's actually happening this is good for us to understand the destruction desolation verse 12 of our text the city has left in desolation the gate is smitten with destruction I couldn't help but see the news of this poor gal who lived in in Minnesota and she was interviewed by some you know news person and it was just heartbreaking because her community been burned down Andrew looted and rioted in the last couple nights and she said man you know the Walmart or whatever the Target store and all the places she shops are just gone now and and it just was heartbreaking to see you know how that town is just being more than 250 stores in Minneapolis Minnesota the last four nights have been destroyed where people can't even work there anymore more than 10,000 employees can't work there anymore because of the rioting that's been happening and people are just broken you know and you see that in that microcosm of Minneapolis and st. Paul and Yunos portland we've had a bunch of destroyed businesses and in Seattle Los Angeles New York City Washington DC but but all that to say this is going to be global when this happens that kind of notion is going to be global and people are not going to be dancing in the street but they're gonna be weeping because it's the low earth that's gonna sit in desolation verse 13 when the sit shall be in the midst of the land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree as the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord they shall cry aloud from the sea wherefore glorify you the Lord of in the fires even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the sea from the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs even glory to the righteous but I said my leanness my lameness woe unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yay the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously the Hebrew scholars tell us that this reads very rhythmically in Pope in in poetry the way this chapter comes out you can almost hear it in English here but not quite it's Isaiah's using this flowery language but it's a it's sort of a gloomy message but did you notice in verse 13 through 16 there's there's something that seems like suddenly there's people of the Lord doing stuff you might be saying Brett who are these people are they gonna be on the earth when all this happens yes these people who are gonna glorify the Lord even in the fire verse 15 they're gonna be on the earth well Brett is that us I believe it's not us don't forget this is where a lot of people get confused because you do read about during the tribulation when God pours out his wrath upon a christ-rejecting sinful world you say Brett we're going to be raptured I believe we are I think we're gonna be taken up to be in heaven to be with the Lord because the Lord does not destroy the righteous with the wicked and it's we are as children what father would say kids go over there and I'm gonna destroy that area with you they're like that's not what a father does and I've got about a hundred other reasons why I believe the Lord's gonna pull us out but one of the things the Lord is also gonna do because he would that none should perish and that everyone would come to repentance he's gonna use that horrible time of the tribulation to do a bunch of things he's gonna wake up a nation the Jews they're gonna be woken you know woken up by the Lord and in the middle of the tribulation they'll see that Jesus is the Messiah and that's gonna be glorious even the midst of the trouble of the tribulation he's going to judge a christ-rejecting sinful world that's what the tribulations for but there's also gonna be a bunch of people during the tribulation who will accept that Jesus is the Messiah who knows maybe it'll be some of your family members who thought you were a wacko because you believed in the rapture of the church because you believe that Jesus is the Messiah and you became a Christian and you've tried to lovingly tell your family but they were just weren't listening and then suddenly there's a mass disappearance of people on the earth and suddenly the things of the Tribulation Period in the Antichrist and this mark of the beast and all these things are gonna kick into gear there's gonna be a ton of your family members that have heard you and thought you were wacko but I believe it could just be that many of them will come to believe in Christ and they will not go the way of the world that is who we're talking about here and what we call them by the way there's tribulation Saints tribulation Saints there are going to be people who are gonna be tribulation Saints Gentiles and Jews there's gonna be 144,000 Jews that are gonna be particularly set aside for the Lord's purpose during the tribulation period but there's also going to be many people who come to know Jesus during the tribulation period it's not gonna be fun the Lord says in his word that there's gonna be sent a strong delusion there in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 in other words people think well I'll just see if you're right Brett and if the rapture happens and the mark of the beast comes then I'll accept Christ well there's a couple things you better hope first of all you better hope that you don't get the strong delusion that's sent by God over a lot of people over the earth there are the people that have that have rejected the Lord all they're and they're just gonna continue to reject court even though all that stuff's gonna come down and they're gonna be sent a strong illusion you better hope you're not part of that group and then also it will cost you deeply it if you can't be a Christian now when things are easy what makes you think you're gonna be a Christian during the tribulation period when it will cost you your head the Bible says that if you don't take that mark of the beast and if you don't worship the image of the Beast you will be killed for that the Bible says that and the way they'll do it is beheading oh Brett who beheads anybody anymore in the Middle East where all this is gonna go down and it's gonna come from that region in the world they still behead people and they do it all the time all that to say that's not gonna be easy better to be a believer in Christ now and be on the correct side of this thing but those people are told here in verse 15 where if I glorify ye the Lord in the fires even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the islands of the sea that's that's the idea those that are there gonna say we're lean there's leanness and that the one who's treacherous has dealt with us treacherously it's gonna be a brutal brutal time well verse 17 fear and the pit and and the snare are upon the O inhabitants of the earth it shall come to pass that he who flee if from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit and does that sound horrible people are gonna freak out and they'll be running for their lives only to fall into the pit yep and it says and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the windows from on higher open and the fountains of the earth to shake apart me the foundations of the earth to shake and the earth is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth has moved exceedingly the earth shall be shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise again man you know the earth and its destructive force we just you know our friends down in Vanuatu in the South Pacific had a huge category 5 hurricane you know a few months ago go through right through our you know mission base on you know on the islands of Vanuatu there near loganville and Santo and Tad marna were here for a short visit and then the coronavirus thing hit and they they closed down the country so nobody can come and go out of Ottawa - so to admire marna are stuck here for now meanwhile there was a horrible cyclone that happened and and it wiped out a ton of buildings in fact every building on our base except for one where Tatem are to live and all of our the pastures and then some of the church people all our buildings were damaged some of them were destroyed and the roofs were taken off of some of them but 150 mile an hour winds that's a tough day right there and and so we're trying to remotely get them set back up and get some coverings on their roofs and we got work to do we got a lot of work to do but keep our brothers and sisters in Vanuatu in prayer because you know it's not easy to go through that and but the thing that I saw some of the video footage of that and man the forceful winds and watching those little houses there was a house next door that some missionary from Australia built actually went to that house once and it was like house you'd see here in Tualatin it was built like an American house that house is gone I guess it's better to have a hut that's a little more flexible blessed are the flexible for the bend and not break a lot of the huts actually did better than that house that was built like an American house that house is gone now because of that cyclone but but you kind of see that's what the description here is that the you know the houses and the buildings are gonna shake like little cottages and be wiped out and that's going to be across the globe it's gonna be a horrible time the force that God could put upon this nation in Wrath and judgment people have tasted and seen some of that in small locations cyclones hurricanes tornadoes those are gonna seem like child's play compared to what's happening here in Isaiah chapter 24 on the earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard that's that sounds pretty bad that that tends to be that wobble that we were talking about the polar axis wobbles that already is there some say the wobbles gonna get worse and it's gonna be somehow who knows how that's gonna happen could it be a you know we always talk about what would happen if a giant asteroid hit the earth what would happen what would that feel like around the globe what kind of an earthquake would that induce what would happen after that like people don't really know but some suggest that that's what's gonna happen that's why the earth will wobble like a drunkard and houses will be shaken and removed like a little cottage or booth or Tabernacle tent is the idea and verse 21 it shall come to pass in that day there's that term again that's the Lord shall punish the hosts of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth now this is an interesting interesting discussion here the Lord will punish the hosts of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth you know it's interesting because who are these high ones some would argue that it's what the psalmist is talking about in Psalm chapter 2 let me read to you Psalm chapter 2 why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing the kings of the earth are set of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel against together against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision or in other words the Lord will scoff at their puny little fish shaking it God gotta go whatever and then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure yet I have set my king upon the holy hill of Zion I will declare the decree of the Lord he said it to me thou art my son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I shall give the the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts either for thy possession and thou shalt break them with the rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces pieces like a Potter's vessel be wise now therefore o Kings be instructed you judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoice thing with trembling kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him kings of the earth those are in power and control here's a you know a description of what's gonna happen to those who shake their fists at God and we have a lot of governors we have a lot of leaders and rulers and you know politicians that really do that they think they're bigger than God they know more than God but here the admonition of the Psalms say be wise and serve the Lord with fear but those that don't do that he's gonna break them verse 9 with a rod of iron and dashed them into pieces like a Potter's vessel you know Psalm chapter 2 is not your average little everyday Psalm that a nice one we sing in church every Sunday it's talking about the end it's talking about this you know we're here in chapter 24 of Isaiah the Lord says he's gonna punish the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth verse 22 and they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison and after many days they shall be visited then the moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign and Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his ancients gloriously so before Christ rules and reigns that's where the sun's gonna be ashamed the moon's gonna be darkened or shadowed and that that goes with Jesus's account of the last days of Matthew 24 it also is in line with the tribulation period of Revelation 6 or 19 and and and this is Isaiah's saying the same things those guys said I would say Jesus and both Jesus's account in Matthew 24 and John's revelation is even more clear than what Isaiah said it's almost like Isaiah's introducing us to this idea of the moon being you know come founded the Sun being ashamed and then the Lord is gonna come after that and rule and reign on Mount Zion that's the Millennial Kingdom so all this destruction that's gonna be on the earth is during the tribulation and then the Lord's gonna come and rule and reign and he's gonna fix all the things that are bad when he comes and rules and reigns on the earth so that's the first part of the little apocalypse here I as a ax 24 through 27 is the first part as the end of the earth the end of the earth as we know it right here in Isaiah 24 in chapter 25 and 26 we we see the kingdom age when Christ comes it's like first 23 is the signal okay Christ now is ruling and reigning now in Jerusalem and and so what do we got going on there well verse 1 of chapter 25 it says Oh Lord thou art my god I will exalt thee I will praise thy name for thou has done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth for thou hast made of a city a heap of a defense city a ruin a palace of strangers to be no City it shall never be built therefore shall the strong people glorify thee the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee for thou has been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers as the heat in a dry place even the heat with a shadow of a cloud the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low ok so in this first section if you're a note taker we can divide this chapter into five sections talking about the kingdom first of all we have the reversal of fortune the reversal of fortune verses one through five those that were high and powerful and you know rich and doing well they're gonna be brought very low and the Lord is gonna bring up the the person who is poor and without strength verse four you know it'll be a strength of the needy in his distress and a refuge from the storm you see you know ultimately when we see you know people that have been marginalized in our culture or in the world and you know it's really sad because if you're a student of history you know historically it's been horrible you know racism is an abomination you know I love how the Bible the Lord says there's neither Jew nor Greek like male nor female like the Lord doesn't say there's you know that one class is better than another but in instead the Lord says that you know he loves all of us his creation and we were all created in the image of God but in sinful humanity throughout all of history people have been marginalized and people have been brought down to very low and it's it's been a tough thing to watch just if you if you study history and seeing what's going on today around the world you know you know the the racism in America is at the forefront of our discussion and people are talking hopefully listening and hearing each other and talking but at the same time you know I think of so many others too it's hard for me to get on any single issue and really say we're going to jump on this and really fight for this one because I'd be so busy fighting for so many people I would fight for the unborn man you know millions and millions of aborted babies this to me is one of the greatest abominations of our of our generation is to see what's happening to the unborn child it's just you know it's just so evil as racism is evil I'd say abortion is evil as well and maybe in some ways it's so evil because the world just is it good it calls abortion good and we're celebrating that like it's a great thing and you know people are acting like I'm the horrible one to say that abortion is wrong it's it's just really something the days we're living we could talk about the Jews you know no single race has ever been hated and just tried to be destroyed more than the Jews you know some people talk about racism and and I I agree racism is horrible and and some people say well what's the difference between you know the the racism that we're seeing here in America today against the african-american versus the racism of the Jew there is a difference and I will tell you what the difference is the Jews are the people the group that have been sought after to be wiped out completely slavery is horrible enough it's the worst part of America's history of course but but the Jews have had several times in their history even in some of people who are alive today if you're you know alive when you were around during World War two you lived through a time where six million Jews were killed because of their race and the goal was the final solution by Hitler and the Nazis and that's happened to the Jews throughout history whether you're talking in teeka's epiphanies or Hadrian the Roman Emperor or if you're talking about you know the Pharaoh or Herod the Great who killed all the male Jewish children like the Jews have been targeted out for millennium and my point is this that there have been people groups that have been marginalized hated and some even said let's just wipe them out altogether and and and even today isn't it amazing anti-semitism is on the rise all around the world people hate the Jews still in Germany right now it's it's the most dangerous place in the world you'd think Germany would be the safest place for a Jew because of their horrible history you think the Germans would say yeah we're not going to do the Hitler thing again but right now anti-semitism hatred against Jews it's all it's it's totally radical right now in Germany so you're saying Brett you mean we got to worry about the horrible racism in America and you're saying there's other things too like racism against Jews yep horrible around the world and an abortion yep horrible which one's worse honestly I'm just gonna say it I think abortion is when we stand before God someday we're gonna realize what a abomination abortion has been and I'm telling you I think God's gonna pour out his wrath upon this christ-rejecting sinful world and that's gonna be one of the main reasons right there is what we're doing with our children that was by the way one of the things that broke the camel's back so to speak and I'm in the land of Canaan when they were sacrificing babies on the arms of Moloch and key mush of ancient times God said I am done with those people and that's what he said to the Jews go in and utterly destroy you know the Jebusites the Moabites the Hittites the highlights the flashlights and all those people he said I'm gonna just wipe him out what was it that happened they became so evil in their sinful ways it's almost like that was the straw that broke the camel's back and I I do wonder about our culture and us embracing that but the reason I go into all this stuff is there's coming a day where the Lord is gonna write all that stuff and the marginalized and the hated the people who have experienced racism the Lord's gonna write that wrong and it's not going to be a pretty sight for those who do or the the wicked in this case and our hope is in the Lord Jesus man when Christ comes and returns which I believe could be soon it's gonna there's gonna be an end of racism the total end of racism it's gonna happen man I longed for that day until then what do we do man we just keep doing our best to try to you know stop racism you know we can do our best but the problem is not what a lot of people think it is it really is largely just sin I'll just say it you know everybody's gonna do what they got to do and the Lord's call different people to do different things you know some people think they're gonna be doing this or that the other thing to try to help stop racism or not I'm not sure I know all the answers but here's what I do know I think that for some of us myself particularly I feel called to preach the gospel man it's all about the gospel of Jesus Christ I've really given my life to preaching the gospel every single Sunday I try to sneak it in even on our Wednesday night Bible study whenever I can because it's Jesus is the answer the world is dark and we need the light of Christ to shine into this world and so you know for me the the more people we can lead to Christ the more we'll see evils be pushed down and pushed back you can't change a person from the outside in you've got to change a person from the inside out and and racism is one of those things man you can't change a racist from the outside and then in it's got to be a total regeneration of the heart there's got to be a massive heart transplant and God can do that he says I'll take your stony heart and I'll replace it with a heart you know that's soft and remember remember um you know Paul wrote his letter to Philemon and Philemon had a slave named Onesimus and Paul man he he kind of laid it on thick he said own Decimus you know was the slave he says he ran away from you Philemon but if he owes you anything charge it to my account in other words you know if you're mad at onesimus you're gonna be mad at me Paul the Apostle says to you know Philemon and of course Philemon was compelled there to say oh yeah this is just wrong and and Paul says you receive Onesimus as a brother he's a Christian were brothers in Christ and this idea of slavery that's what the whole book of Philemon is about the the changing of the person's heart and the way the Lord was doing away with slavery in that situation it's the Lord Jesus Christ that the world is and so you know some people are you know saying this or doing that or joining that team or club or you know I'm gonna just continue to do what the Lord's called me personally to do and I can't say you're all called to do it but I I know I am the gospel you can't clean the fish before you catch the fish that's what people are I think sometimes try to do you Jesus said I'll make you fishers of men and until people are saved and repentant of their sins we're gonna have racism in this world and it's gonna get worse the more people repent the more people come to Jesus wherever the gospel of Jesus has been truly received ultimately that would be an end of slavery but you know where it was tweaked out or perverted version of the of Christianity or whatever you can so be historically where Christians had slaves so-called but if you really read the Bible and see what the gospel really has done throughout history it's the Bible is anti-slavery anti-racism and the gospel is the one that frees people up from that so all that to say this is all coming down the Lord says it he says I'm gonna take the people that were high and mighty and mean and horrible and I'm gonna judge them but for the poor verse four I'm gonna be a strength to them and for the needy and distress been the Lord's gonna make all these things wrong that are wrong right now he's gonna make them right I love that I look forward to that because you know it's tiring to try to figure it all out but I just really believe that that man the Lord is the one without him we can do nothing so he's the the solution to the problems today well there's a phrase here I want to point out to you Bible students because this is interesting remember I told you about the branch the net ser that we studied several weeks back and Jesus is the branch but do you remember a few weeks ago also showed you there's a false branch and we talked about this Antichrist who's sort of remember he's a duplicator and imitator and the false branches is referenced here in verse five again where it says the second part of verse five even the heat with the shadow of a cloud the branch of the terrible one shall be brought low this could be talking about that counterfeit branch the Antichrist at the end of the tribulation he'll be done away with so that's that so we got the first section here a reversal of fortune that's what the Lord's gonna do a reversal of fortune number two we've got a reward for the faithful in the Millennial Kingdom there's gonna be reward for the faithful verse six and in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the on the on the Lee's of fat things full of Morrow of wines on the Lee's well refined basically there's going to be a beautiful feast and a reward for the faithful that's number two a reward for the faithful number three we have here a revelation of fatality what's going to happen to death and the fatal I'm keeping my F's going here so you have number one a reversal of fortune number two and reward for the faithful number three a revelation of fatality it says in verse seven and he will destroy in this mount in the face of the covering cast over all people and the veil that has spread over all nations he will swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off the year all the earth for the LORD hath spoken it there's going to be a lifting of this blanket that spread over the nation's there's a you're talking about a wet blanket or a dark covering that's verse seven but it's it's death the Lord's gonna during this Millennial Kingdom he's gonna swallow up death this verse seven here Paul the Apostle sort of borrowed this from from Isaiah in 1st Corinthians chapter 15 let me read to you what Paul wrote about this quoting Isaiah our text tonight it says there in Isaiah 15:53 it says for this corruptible these bodies must put on incorruption new body and this mortal must put on immortality so when this corruptible this body that's gonna die shall have put on incorruption and this mortal should put on immortality then shall he it be brought to pass the saying that is written death is swallowed up in victory o death where is thy sting o grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Paul says man these bodies that are corruptible and defiled and sinful and messed up their gonna be we're gonna be given a new body that's incorruptible not perishing and he's gonna conquer death and the grave and man that's gonna be a glorious day and that's Paul the Apostle he's quoting from Isaiah right here when he uses that scripture I love how Paul knew the Old Testament Scriptures and used those so verse eight and seven and eight is the idea of fatalities not going to be an issue in them in the kingdom so a revelation of fatality then number four we have a rejoicing in the father verse 9 it says there and it shall be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation so we have a rejoicing in the father I love how this group of people here they're saying we waited for him are you waiting for the Lord are you looking forward to the Lord's return because those that are here in this place place realized that man he was the answer all along we're so glad that he's here we're so glad that the father Jehovah our God we're gonna rejoice in his salvation that he's going to bring during that Millennial Kingdom that's gonna be great we're gonna see next week in chapter 26 that rejoicing should be for us even today we should be rejoicing the Lord's gonna return and make all the wrongs right we should have that same anticipation so our rejoicing in the father so number 1 verses 1 through 5 you've got reversal of fortune number 2 verse 6 we've got a reward for the faithful number 3 a revelation of the fatal fatality and then number I think I might have skipped number 2 the reward for the faithful that's the fat feast that we were talking about hope I didn't skip that part but that's the reward for the faithful number 2 number 3 a revelation of fatality verses 7 and 8 that's number three number four rejoicing the father and finally a retribution for the foolish check this out verse 10 it says for in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord rest and Moab shall be trodden down under him even as straw is trodden down for the dung Hill and he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them as he that swim a--the spreadeth forth his hands to swim and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands and the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall bring down lay low and bring the ground even to dust when the Lord returns that's what he's gonna do to set up his kingdom how's he gonna do it take sure the senior he says it's like a swimmer when a swimmer comes and pushes his hands through the water the Lord is gonna take and just go push okay there's all the cities and he's just gonna scrape it all off and clear it off and then set up his kingdom that's that's the image right there so you know picture Phelps swimming in the Olympics and with his big arms just going like this and doing the breath stroke or whatever that's what the Lord is gonna do he's gonna go okay here's the earth there goes all the cities and all the evil and wicked and he's gonna set up his kingdom was it's gonna be an everlasting Kingdom and all the wrongs are gonna be right there's gonna be everlasting peace everlasting prosperity that comes from Christ Christ is the answer Jesus is the wave that's gonna solve all this problem all the turmoil the disease the death the cataclysmic you know events of earthquakes and famine all that stuff's gonna be dealt with when the Lord returns and that's our hope and the Bible says in James Chuck pardon me first John chapter 3 it says that he who has this hope purifies himself there's something that happens to the believer that lives with this worldview of the return of Christ the rapture of the church and the imminence of that event happening the thing that happens to the believer is we live with that hope and and there's a purifying effect in other words you and I won't necessarily be out partying down or rioting or looting in downtown Portland because we're not we don't care about that stuff we care about the Lord in his return we don't want to be given to sinful things we want to see righteousness brought in we want to see the poor being pulled up by the Lord we want to be a part of his kingdom and so there's a purifying effect and and I believe that the person who has the real hope of Christ there's it's not that we become lazy and just sit around say well the Lord's come back someday whatever that's not the deal the deal is because we know the Lord's returning and we're watching and waiting for that man we're busy about the work of the kingdom that's why we're doing what we're doing right now teaching the scriptures as hard as I know how to teach the Bible man we're teaching the Bible because this is something that's kingdom oriented this Wednesday night this hour-and-a-half that you've spent you know basically just getting into Scripture tonight this is kingdom time we're talking about Jesus and his coming Kingdom and we're learning what the Bible says is going to happen in this world the rest of the world they're struggling and fighting and trying to figure out what's going on and and but they're all stressed out and everybody's upset we as Christians we have the hope of Christ's return and this purifies us it makes us want to serve the Lord Matthew chapter 24 Jesus talked about the two servants one servant was watching for the return of the Lord and was busy about the work of the kingdom a lot of Lord said this servant will be blessed but there's the other servant that says ah the Lord delays is coming and it's not coming now so he went around and started punching his brother in the face and partying down like there was no tomorrow and the Lord said that servant he's gonna end up in the place where there's weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth the the good servant that Jesus talked about in Matthew 24 was watching vigilant sober busy about the work of the kingdom and that's what you and I should be doing we should be sharing Christ with people you know it's amazing how many so be so many people are talking about what we should be doing or all this stuff but man you know don't be afraid to tell something you know what I like what I'm doing more than what you're not doing well I put a black square on my Instagram yesterday Wow well you know what I am sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone who will hear I like what I'm doing more than what a lot of you are not doing and I think that we need to kind of keep in perspective what really matters and I believe that Jesus is the whole thing I'm gonna go down fighting to say Jesus is the answer for every problem in this world and we need to point people to Christ that's where people will be helped that's where healings found that's where light shines in the darkness that's where the poor are brought up high that's where the compassion is found it's all right there in Jesus and Christ alone that's where it's that so that's why we do what we do and then Matt as I read Isaiah I want to be more about that than ever because look at the day that's coming the day of the Lord is no joke and it is coming and I believe sooner than later and we'll talk about that more on Friday night and our prophecy update let's pray together Lord these are tricky times that we live in and I do take time right now Lord and pray I pray Lord for those that are marginalized and feel that they've been treated so badly and and Lord the situations that have been a horrible and an Lord racism is ugly and a sinful and not only are we against it but Lord more importantly we know for a fact you're against it and so I pray father that this nation that there'd be healing and that you would do a work Lord in this nation to heal the wounds of what's happening right now and Lord for the cities tonight that are still in riding in trouble lord I pray that you would just somehow people would have ears to hear the good news of the gospel that no matter how bad were persecuted on this earth or in this life that you are the answer lord I pray that you just break those that the will of those people that are destroying and hurting and trying to cause harm lord um we know that there are evil people in all professions and we know there's wicked law enforcement people but we also know there's mostly really good people doing a job of law enforcement I pray protection on the police officers Lord we know that hundreds and hundreds of police have been injured and some have been killed even in the last few days lord I pray that you put protection around our police officers I pray that the african-american community could see and and that she'd raise up more and more people that would point to Jesus that more and more people would see you as the one that loves them is the answer and and I pray Lord that whatever whatever this nation needs to heal or that you would just infuse that in we trust you or you're able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask for even think about so we pray Lord that you would heal and and mend I pray father just blessing upon the folks that are that are marginalized in this world Lord we do think of the the babies that are unborn you tell us that they're a miracle that you create in the mother's womb and we see Lord that you are doing that work at the very moment of conception and yet we've cast that is not a life Lord and forgive us forgive us as a nation for what we have done Lord we think of the anti-semitism around the world and and as that heats up and Jewish people around Europe and even in America sometimes Lord we see where there's just real hatred and and danger synagogues being burnt down in Europe and Jews fleeing for their lives Lord we we just see the ugliness of sin and racism all around this world but Lord we know that you're the one you're the author of peace you're the Prince of Peace so we pray Lord that you would come quickly that you'd write all these wrongs show us how we can best serve you until that day Lord bless your congregation Lord I pray for all of our brothers and sisters like the old song red brown yellow black and white we know it's true that they're all precious in your sight that's just a true thing Lord that you you have thoughts toward us all of us thoughts of peace not of evil you have precious thoughts Lord I pray that people would know that they are loved the Lord by you that people would know your love your kindness your compassion so we just commit all this to you Lord pray that you'd bless these people who have listened to this Bible study tonight may they go now and bring forth good fruit in their lives we pray in jesus name amen amen well it's that let's close with a song the Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee and be gracious unto thee Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace and God bless you we will see you this Friday night at the prophecy update

Channel: Athey Creek

Views: 2,693

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Keywords: Brett Meador, Athey Creek, Christian, Fellowship, ACCF, Athey, Jesus, Christ, Church, Service, Bible, Study, Devotion, the Word, Truth, Salvation, saved, sin

Id: Fk5vqJttI1c

Length: 82min 41sec (4961 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 03 2020