Get Real

Isaiah 57:10-15
A man was driving around and around a mall parking lot looking for a parking space. He got frustrated as each time he thought he had a space, another driver would swoop in and take it. Finally, at the point of total aggravation, he prayed, "God, if you’ll let me find a good parking spot, I promise to go to church every Sunday from now on." Just then, a car began to pull out of the closest spot to the store. The man quickly said, "Never mind, God. I just found one."
How telling of human nature that is! People would rather do anything that be faithful to God.
In our text, the people of Israel find themselves in a difficult situation, but they don’t have the sense to turn to God. Their nation is threatened by an invasion by two separate armies, the Assyrians and the Babylonians. They have looked everywhere for help except where the help is.
God calls us in this passage to get real. He calls us to earnestly see Him and humble ourselves before Him. He points out the futility of living for this world and this world’s respect and take what He has to say to us to heart.

I. PURSUITS- 10
The Declaration of Independence mentions the pursuit of happiness among the inalienable rights granted to us by God.
Unfortunately, many of the things we do to pursue happiness actually preclude happiness
Americans tend to worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship
As God is speaking to the people of Israel, He takes issue with their pursuits
His issue with them was that they never seemed to tire of looking for help in the wrong places
They would make long journeys seeking to make an alliance with a nation to protect them
Time and again, they would be rejected, but they never lost hope that the next would agree
They were spinning their wheels and wearing themselves out to no avail
All the while, they failed to recognize the greatest ally that they had ever known: God
God could have single-handedly come to their aid, but they were unwilling to come to Him
They were too satisfied with the life their hands had provided
They were too comfortable with the choices that they had made
Rather than come to God, they would continue to look for help from ungodly nations
They just kept going from one place to another to make up what was lacking
Does any of this sound familiar? Job to Job, relationship to relationship, Guru to guru
Eventually we hope to find a solution that suits us and makes us happy
Go from one thing to another hoping to find what is lacking, but God is what is missing
Ask yourself, "What is the first thing I do when I face a decision or have a problem?"
Are we looking for someone else to solve it for us and give us answers?
Have you been going out of your way to try to get help, Looking everywhere but to God?
We’re too impressed with ourselves and with what we can do
No matter how bad our lives are, we’d choose to stick with it rather than coming to God

II. PRESSURE- 11-13
God also confronts the people of Israel for conforming to people’s expectations
He tells them that they don’t lay His words to heart, but they do the thoughts of others
They don’t really, earnestly consider God’s words because God won’t say anything
Illus. Two men were having a beer in the local bar when they saw their pastor drive by and take a good long look at their pickup trucks parked