Sermon Title: Turn or Burn
Text: Isaiah 1:21-31
Date: August 3, 2003 PM
Context of Scripture:
I think by now, if you have listened to the previous sermons out of this series that I am preparing out of the book of Isaiah, we know that the situation is grim and all to well we know that this great nation is paralleling Judah in its transgressions. Knowing the cycle of disobedience to God and loss of blessings that Judah and the people of Isaiah experienced time and time again, it would not seem like much of a risk in predicting that the very same fate awaits this nation of ours. There will be suffering ahead for all of us, regardless of if we are being true, because we cannot help but be affected by lost blessings of our nation as a whole.
With this in mind let us stand for the reading of God’s Word!
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1:21-31
21 ¶ How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them. 24 Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes. 25 "I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy. 26 "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city." 27 Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness. 28 But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. 29 Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. 30 For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away Or as a garden that has no water. 31 The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench them.
Sermon Introduction:
I have entitled this evenings message, “Turn or Burn”, because that is basically the message that we need to get out to those in the world that need to hear God’s message but they are either to stubborn or full of themselves to process what is being spoken to them. This is an extreme message that is needed in extreme times.
This is why explanation by stating opposites is so effective in getting a message across to a thick headed audience. I was thickheaded in my flight from the Lord and He placed an obvious opposite in my path with the question, “Do you want to live or do you want to die?” Pretty simple method of calling one’s attention to the flaws in their lifestyle right? That is why we compare the light and the dark and night and day as a means of explaining an abstract idea like following the will of the Lord.
It is also interesting that when strife breaks out between people that were at one time close, it is generally the outcome that the relationship moves from one of intense love to intense hatred. Look at the outcome of most divorces, here we have what is supposed to be the most intimate of relationships and through the process of legal wrangling, we have two parties that many times share an intense dislike. Those that are often the closest have the best access to the means of betrayal.
In the situation regarding the truth of the opposites, in our lack of relationship with God, it is oftentimes the situations that bring us the lowest that eventually bring us the closest. In our shattered friendships and other relationships, it is only after a painful ordeal and a period of reflection that healing can begin. It requires a time of hurtful healing. There is no such thing as painless surgery – if you believe that then you might also be a candidate for ocean-front property in Nevada. There is no such thing as a painless separation between the closest of friends – it just doesn’t happen.
The truth be known, our fallen race learns better through pain and suffering then anything else. We can see example after example of people who have done contrary to what they ought, we see the problems that they encounter with various lifestyles, we see the negative effects on their health, and at times we still don’t learn and need to feel that pain – up close and personal in our own lives.
For those that are just to pig-headed to listen to reason or give in when they feel the pain personally, then the warnings have accomplished all that they could and the fate that awaits is probably well-deserved and should come with no great surprise to the stubborn. Are you seeing the parallel of this kind of reasoning and the general scope of the conditions of this nation? I believe it is clearly made plain to us and the text out of Isaiah is as applicable today as the day that it was brought forth to Isaiah’s people.
Prayer for Spiritual Enlightenment:
I. The truth of the opposites
There is one thing to be said for Old Testament Scripture reading, it does not mince words and it definitely falls outside of what we would look at as political correctness. Read the words that describe Judah’s relationship with God in verses 21 and 22:
21 ¶ How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water.
The Word of God pronounced to the chosen people, where you were once faithful in your relationship to God Almighty you now spend your time whoring around. Now, that is a serious allegation. It is however, very fitting because they went from a people that were dedicated to God to a people that worshipped in the places of false gods. The greatest factor in some of the rituals in these temples of iniquity were the services of the temple prostitute. Want a fertile field for the crops – see the temple prostitute. Want a greater harvest – see the temple prostitute. Is there anything that you desire – see the temple prostitute. Not only was there the running to false gods, they were defiling their very bodies in the process.
The chosen people were once righteous and now they are murderers. Instead of being like silver, a very precious metal, they are like the slag that is burned off of it in the purifying process. You see the concept of opposites at play in this text. Isaiah goes on to describe their situation as diluted wine. Let me put this into perspective for today – your Kool-Aid is diluted! If you don’t understand this go home after the service today and triple the amount of water you put in your Kool-Aid and taste it.
II. When friends become foes
There was a change that was occurring in Isaiah’s people and the message that Isaiah was trying to bring to them hit on the mark. Let us read verses 23 and 24 again:
23 Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them. 24 Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes.
Here are the charges that were being brought against the leaders of Judah, and let me ask you to keep in mind the changes that have taken place in America over the last half century.
The rulers have become rebels. The rulers were once the anointed of God and now they are rebelling against the very God that had placed them in power to begin with. We look at the foundation of this nation, and those that came to the New World, came here in search of the ability to freely worship God. There was a predominant spirituality among those that were founding our nation. The constitution set religious standards as the basis of this nations laws. It was because of the obedience to the Lord and the things of the Lord that allowed this nation to see the wonderful blessings that it had seen.
We also need to realize that in Isaiah’s time there was a greater degree of religious connection between the rulers and the Temple. It was the high priest that was used to anoint the king as the chosen of God. This king, anointed of God, was a rebel as well. We don’t have religious and spiritual leadership combined in this country, however we can see the rebellion in some of the church leaders. We can look at all of the sexual improprieties that are running rampant in the church of today. The Catholic priest scandal is headline news and is laid open for all of the world to see. We may say – “WE ARE NOT CATHOLIC”, however in the eyes of those that we are to minister to, those that are seeking something that is missing in their own lives, they don’t distinguish between Catholic and protestant and as a result may be turning their backs before they even hear the message that they have been so long awaiting. There are denominations that are allowing same-sex marriages, some are ordaining homosexual pastors and many are diluting the Word of God so that the black and white of righteousness has blurred to a grey area of personal choice.
The leaders of Judah were being accused of being in the company of thieves. How many charges of corporate graft and other fiscal scandals have been linked to our leaders? It is almost impossible to find anyone in a political office that hasn’t at least bent in the direction of a special interest group. Regardless of the cause, that is nothing less then vote buying – are they not to have moral convictions of their own and on their own?
Isaiah issues an outcry for the treatment of the orphaned and the widowed. Notice that this is a call by God to the people of God to care for the less fortunate of God. It is not some high profile personality calling on the government to create another program that is paid for by tax dollars that are largely eaten up by oversized staff salaries in order to care for the needs of those that are less fortunate. I am not against the government programs, they have become needed because the body of Christ has lost its focus on caring for the needs of its own. When the church cries out against the government and the way that it gives handouts and in the process promotes unbiblical living, the same church should look at what has happened to its very own programs of tending to the needs of the unfortunate. The parallel between Judah and this nation grows more frightening with each example.
Judah has done contrary for so long that the relationship between God and people is about to change. Look at the 24th verse again: 24 Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, "Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries And avenge Myself on My foes. The words that the Lord gives to Isaiah in description of His people is no longer the chosen of God but adversaries and foes. What would be said of a nation that removes the Ten Commandments from the walls of judicial offices? What would be said of a nation that removes prayer from the school and bans the Bible as a valid selection for its libraries while other writings of false gods are considered good for social awareness? What could be said of a nation that wishes to remove the phrase under God from its pledge of allegiance? Is the description of a friendly and loving relationship with its Creator or has America become an adversary or a foe?
III. A hurtful healing
Just as time came again and again for God’s chosen people, we may well see a turn in our conditions as well. Reading verses 25 through 27:
25 "I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye And will remove all your alloy. 26 "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city." 27 Zion will be redeemed with justice And her repentant ones with righteousness.
Look at the description of God’s impending actions:
• God will turn His hand against Judah
• He will burn off the dross
• He will remove the alloy or the impurities
This is a description of God taking the matters that should have been easy decisions for His people and taking care of business Himself. Instead of His hand of protection, He will heat things up in an effort to purify His people. The description of the purifying process can be frightening when we consider He is talking about His chosen people that will be put through this process. He is talking about our nation as well. It is through the extreme heat that the impurities of an ore is separated and then at an appropriate time scrapped off and discarded. The alloy can be seen as things that are added in that seemingly add to the strength but are considered impurities by God. If it is contrary to God’s Word then it must be removed from our lives.
There is hope in this section of Scripture, and it is this hope that I wish for us to focus in on this evening. After the cleansing, as difficult and horrible as it may seem, there is restoration ahead. We know that at a time in the future our Lord is going to return and the final restorations will commence, but in the meantime, we cannot sit idly by and just wait. Paul had to straighten the Thessalonians out in that matter. We have hit on a manner in which we can bring forth this restoration. It is a revival, and it needs to begin now before the consequences of our deviation as a nation from our Lord becomes even greater then it already is.
IV. A fair demise
We live in a society that regardless of its outlook has an idea of consequences for our actions. Isaiah gives the Lord’s consequences to those who would rebel. Reading verses 28 through 31:
28 But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD will come to an end. 29 Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. 30 For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away Or as a garden that has no water. 31 The strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together And there will be none to quench them.
For Isaiah’s people, judgment would be swift and it would be sure. For those that were living in wealth and comfort and glory and honor at the expense of others and in defiance of the Lord, those times would end. The ending, as described by Isaiah is brutal by all accounts.
Let us take that warning of consequence and bring it into the context of the world that we live in today. For those that pass from this life without repenting from the sins that they have committed and failed to establish that relationship with Jesus, they will pass into an eternity of torment. It is interesting when we look at the very last section of this Scripture that those that are the foes of the Lord will be undone at their own hands.
Conclusion:
As we gather here this evening, we have all heard the reading of the Word of God. We are all aware enough of the circumstances of the world that we live in, my announcement of America seeming to be an evil empire in its relationship with God shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. In light of all that what are we to do as the body of Christ?
We are certainly commanded to bring forth the Word of God to those that we have in our sphere of influence. We remember that those in our sphere of influence includes those that dislike us as well as those that will and have done us harm. It is how we bring the Word of God to them that can be of the utmost importance.
In a world where theft is viewed as wrong only under certain circumstances depending on the personal view of the individual, then let the truth of God be made known in the way we live opposite to that set of beliefs. For those that are shy and uncomfortable with confrontational evangelism – which is most people, by the way, the soft and simple statement of our living testimony in a direct opposite of worldly standards may say more than any sermon I could preach from the pulpit.
When we begin to deal with the issues that are keeping someone from making that decision to begin a relationship with Jesus, we must beware – because oftentimes the conviction that settles in will take the closest of friends and turn them into the most bitter of adversaries, at least for a time. Perhaps this is why it becomes so difficult for us to convince the closest in our families to chose Jesus over the ways of the World. Perhaps this is why those of our families attack the devoted to Christ more vehemently then total strangers might even dare.
And no matter how well intentioned and mild mannered and supportive of a soon to become Christian we are, they will feel a certain amount of pain and suffering as they go from lost soul to reclaimed and redeemed. It at times takes a cleansing of the magnitude of the silversmith who heats the silver to tremendous temperatures and knows when it is done when he sees his own reflection on the surface of the now pure silver. We have all experienced it to a degree, so let us be aware of the turmoil that is growing within those that we are attempting to lead to Christ.
We also need to realize, that as much as we try in some situations, there will be those that have been heart hardened through the many encounters with sin in their lives and they will resist any further moving toward the Lord Jesus who holds the key to their forgiveness. They knew the choices that they are making – never allow that disappointment to dull our hunger to lead others to the throne of grace.
Call to Commitment:
We open this time of prayer and ask that if anyone is in need of special prayer, then we ask that they take advantage of the opn altar and the prayer assistance of those that are present here this evening.
Perhaps there are those that wish to make an impact for the kingdom of God through improving the way that they live their lives. Why not come forward and ask the Lord to do such a mighty work in us that we shine as a glowing example – directly opposite to the way that this world is heading today.
Perhaps there are those that are ministering to their close family and friends and need the reassuring prayers as they encounter the opposition through that conviction of the Holy Spirit on those that they love.
Perhaps there are those that are feeling the heating by the one doing the purifying and need the gentle touch of the Savior to ease that pain of transition.
Let these be our prayers this evening.
