I am the Sign

Introduction

Here we are. The Last First Sunday of this year. It seems like we just came into the year and here we are getting ready to go into another. We literally have 27 days left in the year 2022. I believe that in spite of and despite of the up and downs of this year, I hope we all can agree that God has been good to us. He’s brought us not some of the way, but he brought us ALL the way. Yet, I sense in my spirit that there are some that are overwhelmed with the uncertainty of what is to come. You may be looking you may be looking for a confirmation or a sign that everything is going to be alright. Well if that is you if you are praying asking God for better days, God sent me by here to tell you look no further because YOU ARE THE SIGN.

Background

Our text is set in the Major Book of Prophecy of Isaiah. According to Chapter 7, we find that The Kingdom of Judah is being threatened by the combined forces of the Kingdoms of Israel and Syria. We know from the History of Israel, that after reigning of Solomon, Son of David, Israel and Judah split and became 2 separate Kingdoms. Can I take a pause for a cause and tell someone that you can not be surprised when the attack that you face comes from those closest to you? Yes, I know you have a great history of your relationship, but you must be aware that when the Devil can’t get to you one way, he’ll attack you through those close to you. The enemy is trying to overtake Judah, but according to Isaiah 7:1, “they could not yet mount an attack against it.” So the people started to become afraid because of the attack of

Body

When you are the sign, Your Holiness matters (v.11-13)

Yes, your Holiness Matters! That’s a word we don’t use much anymore. Yet, I must tell someone that Holiness is still the standard. He warns Isaiah, “not to live the way this people live.” He tells Isaiah don call conspiracy all that this people call conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. In other words, he says set a separation between you and them. It reminds me of what God tells Aaron in Leviticus 10:10 “You are to distinguish between the holy and unholy, and between the unclean and the clean.” This does not mean that you parade around feeling like people are beneath you, but it means that you understand that you walk like the world walks and you can do as the world do. Scripture tells us in the New Testament to “be IN the world and not OF the world.” Paul says in Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

You can’t love God and this world at the same time. This world is temporary, it’s fickle, it’s ever-changing, so you can’t attach yourself to this world. When you are the sign, your life of holiness should point to the way of Christ. Isn’t that what a sign do. It directs us to something. It leads us to something, your life of Holiness should direct, should lead, should guide as sign to God. You shouldn’t be more afraid of what people think than what God thinks. He tells us in Verse 13, that it is the Lord that should be honored as Holy, it’s the Lord that you should fear and dread. You are the sign that God requires a walk that is pleasing to him. Your Holiness Matters.

Not only does your holiness matters but

When you are the sign, Your Faith Matters (v.14-15)

Yes, your faith matters. Faith according to the author of Hebrews is the Substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Here they are out numbered outweighed by the enemy and God sends a word to them that, HE would be their sanctuary, which is their safe place, their stone of offense, which means that he would fight for them, and a stumbling block to their enemy, which means he would stop them in their traps. This all is what God is telling Isaiah is going to happen. This is good, but it doesn’t mean anything if they don’t believe. Sometimes you can’t focus on what you can see. That’s why a lot of us have not gone further in my lives, in our spirits, in our careers, in our families, because we’re trying to make things fit in our minds, but God says to Isaiah in many words, I’LL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. The bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You have to trust that God will do what he says and he tells us in his word that he WILL take care of his people. You have to realize that there are 2 things God CANNOT DO. 1) He can’t Lie, 2) he can’t fail. So if he says he’s going to take care of us, I don’t care what it seems like, I don’t care what it look like, I don’t care what’s stacked against you, God WILL take care of you. You just have to have faith. When Jesus was on his way to Jairus house to heal his daughter, Jairus got word that the girl had died, and they asked the question, “why trouble the master any longer?” Jesus heard what they had said, and came to Jairus and said, according to Mark 5:36 “Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Your faith is the sign that God is able. When someone is troubled by the cares of this world, they ought to be able to look to you as a sign that if they believe, all things are possible. You should be the sign to someone, that if they have the faith, God has the power. Your faith matters, you can’t be negative and down all the time, you ought to faith should be a sign to someone that “SOMEWAY, SOMEHOW, We gone make this Journey.” Tell someone your faith matters.

Not only does your Holiness matter and your faith matter, but finally

When you are the sign, Your Response Matters (v.16-18)

Tell somebody your response matters. Isaiah says, I will wait on the lord and I will hope in him. God just told him that he’s going to be Judah’s protection, Judah’s Army, and the Enemy’s Stumbling block, He said, my response is I WILL WAIT. In this season that we are living in, we must be careful about our response. Folk is watching to see how you are going to respond to the attack of the enemy. They waiting of you to get fired up, they’re waiting on you to cuss that person out, they’re waiting on you to panic, their waiting on you to lose your mind, but tell someone my response matters. If God is for me, why should I lose my cool. If God is fighting for me, why should I get fired up. David said it best in Psalm 27: 1-3

Psalm 27:1–3 (ESV)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet I will be confident.

So instead of Cursing them out, pray for them. Instead of panicking, stay cool, calm, and collected. Why, because my response matters. I’m not going to give the enemy the satisfaction to say that he got me out of my character, I’m gonna do like Isaiah, I’m going to wait on the Lord and I’m going to trust in him. Why? Because I am the sign.

Conclusion

My Holiness matters, my faith matters, and my response matter, because I am the sign.

I must close but I must let you know why this word blessed me so much. He tells the Children of Israel in verse 18, he says to them (Isaiah 8:18)

Isaiah 8:18 ESV

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

That stuck out to me that Isaiah said that. But when you look at it it makes sense because Isaiah’s name mean salvation of the Lord and his son’s name mean “The spoil speeds, the prey hastens.” That means that God is quickly getting ready to take out the enemy, with his enemy. God was gonna use the Assyrian Army to destroy the army of Israel.

Isaiah said that