God's Word is Your Anchor

Isaiah 66:1-6

Introduction

~2 1/2 years after we started we’re finally in Isaiah 66

Perhaps when we started you found Isaiah intimidating

So large, so much historical references, so much prophecy

I hope now it is a little less intimidating

I pray you will read it more often having some tools to grow through it

We’ve looked at the depths & wonder of God’s work of salvation

See through God’s work in Israel His saving work in the world

We’ve seen how relevant Isaiah’s message is by learning from NT quoting of Isaiah

Our first sermon revealed 3 things about God: These have been recurring themes

He is our Judge

He is our Saviour

He is our Hope

As we come to the end we see God in the same way

This time with so much more context and understanding

Concluding with more detail about His Kingdom

We’re given hope & direction

I want to finish with 3 themes that I think have been a major part of Isaiah’s message

God’s Word is Your Anchor

Jesus is Your Saviour

God’s Glory is Your Reward

READ Isaiah 66:1-24

Focus this morning will be Isaiah 66:1-6

God’s Word Is Your Anchor

Isaiah 66:1-6

God Doesn’t Look at Places of Worship

God Deserves Worship

Isaiah’s favourite title for God is ‘the Holy One’ (uses it 25 times)

Holiness has been a central charactistic of God in message

Holiness has to do with purity, cleanness, separation from sin

Fundamentally holines is about ‘the otherness’ of God

That is, He is not like us, different, above us

God isn’t just holy but...

Isaiah 6:3 “...Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!””

We’re brought back to that thought here

The greatness of God

If nothing else sticks with you from our study of Isaiah let it be this

It was the greatness & holiness of God that changed & sustained Isaiah

Isaiah 6:5 “5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.””

Stand in awe of God, repent before Him

When this God spoke Isaiah was compelled to serve

Isaiah 6:8 “8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.””

Why are we left in awe? He is above all

Eternity is His throne

Isaiah 57:15 “15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy...

Isa. 66:2 - God is creator of all things

Very things we use to worship Him, He has created

We are His creation too

Acts 17:24–25 “24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

“Earth is His footstool” - He rules over all things, all times, all people

This God, is not like us & He is not like any other god

Isaiah 44:6 “6 “Thus says [Yahweh], the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, [Yahweh] of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”

Isaiah 45:5 “5 I am [Yahweh], and there is no other; There is no God besides Me...”

This God is worthy of true worship

He, alone, has right to tell us how to worship

Emtpy Worship is Offensive

Solomon is right in his prayer of dedication of Temple

1 Kings 8:27 “27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!”

God doesn’t need a Temple to be worshipped

Stephen quotes Isa. 66:1 to make this point (Acts 7:48-50)

Places of worship, gathered worship is important for us

Our places of worship can (should) represent our worship but not most important

God’s problem here isn’t the Temple but the heart of the people & worship that produces

Persistent theme in Isaiah: Empty, hypocritical worship of God

Isaiah 1:11 “11 “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.”

Isaiah 66:3 describes how God feels about empty worship

It’s not just annoying, misguided but deeply offensive

Isaiah 1:14 “14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.”

Empty worship of God is no different to Him than if you were worshipping another god entirely

Physical acts of worship aren’t enough

We must evaluate our forms of worship based on the God who has heaven as His throne

e.g. Our worship isn’t a time to talk about how our favourite movies show ‘bibley’ things

It’s not a self-esteem / self-improvement seminar

Empty worship isn’t just in trivialising worship but like Pharisees constricting people in worship

This just breeds division, power struggles, self-righteousness

As I shared with men @ Fellowship I’ve been on the receiving end of this

Worship that doesn’t elevate God or Word but our standards & traditions

True worship is to adore God, to learn of God, serve God who rules heaven & earth

John 4:24 “24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

God must be worshipped

Worshipped in spirit = inwardly, true heart

Worshipped in truth = according to the way God instructs us

We worship the way God tells us to worship

That’s what we need to do (& do better), what we need to teach our children

True worship is freeing

God Looks at Hearts that Worship

Fear the Word of God

Isa. 66:2

God doesn’t look primarily at places of worship but our heart of worship

What do we need to do, what does God look on with delight?

We’ve heard it before

Isaiah 57:15 “15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

When Bible says God ‘looks’ like this it’s an expression of delight & approval

Looks on with favour

It is an expression of engagement & presence

In NT terms we express this as God abiding IN His people - presence of Spirit, being filled with Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

What does God delight in?

Matthew 5:3–4 “3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

Poor & contrite spirit

Poor in spirit = lowly, trusting, dependent, to know my absolute need for God

In my emptiness I find the great joys & blessings of God’s Kingdom

Contrition is to understand the weight of my sin, to be broken over it & throw myself before God’s mercy

There the sorrow of my sin is replaced by God’s comfort in forgiveness

This is true worship

Psalm 51:17 “17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.”

As it is here, both of these traits are often linked with fear of God’s Word

Understand the nature & gravity of God’s Word

We believe that these are the words of God

Therefore we will seek to know & understand them

Hear the Word of God

Isa. 66:5

True division of true & false worship is faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God’s Word

True worship comes from people who make God’s Word part of who they are

James 1:22 “22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

James 1:25 “25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

God’s Word is our anchor, our sure foundation, our rock on which we build our lives on

2 Timothy 3:14–17 “14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God of heaven & earth has revealed Himself to us

There is never a time in life when this is not important

Perhaps 1 of most important times for this is your teens & early adulthood

Parents have rightly sheltered you, protected you in order to prepare you

Having you in church with them, teaching you, worshipping with you they are giving you tools, resources, relationships to deal with what is ahead of you

Not just teaching you but showing you that God’s Word can be trusted

As you enter work, uni, etc. you will be faced with many ideas about the world

Make God’s Word your anchor

1 Timothy 4:16 “16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”

We know you’ll have questions & wrestle with your faith - we did too

We’re here to help you, guide you, answer Q’s

You need to choose to make God’s Word your anchor - we can’t do that for you

Why do I say you need to make God’s Word your anchor?

Living for God, worshipping God isn’t going to be easy

God’s Word tells us the truth

People will taunt you & ridicule your faith

Sometimes you may wonder the same things

Your motives, convictions are going to be tested & questioned

This is true all through life

People are going to see you go through very hard, trying times

‘Where’s your God now? Life doesn’t seem so joyous now does it?”

Here is God’s promise: He will vindicate you

Proverbs 13:13 “13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.”

Make a commitment now that you will fear & hear God’s Word

Not just words but action

Hear in God’s Word who He is & worship Him accordingly

Conclusion

1 great lesson from Isaiah is this: God is above all & worthy of true worship

That is our great calling & purpose in life - worship God in spirit & truth

Key to that is anchoring our lives on God’s Word

True worship always begins with knowing Jesus as Saviour

To anchor my life on God’s Word means:

I will fear God’s Word

Recognise it as God’s Word

Submit myself to its truth

Humble myself recognising I need God

Let it break my hard heart & conform me to Christ’s image

I will hear God’s Word

I will take it in, meditate on it, search it

Respond by changing my life, obeying it

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 “24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’”