The Warrior and Vinekeeper!

It is startling the headline, but the headline goes the snake's head bites a man. The news goes as follows the severed head of a rattlesnake bit a man Olin Dylan the snake Handler at a local reptile garden severed the snakes had yesterday, but when he attempted to remove the snake's head from The Chopping Block. The things struck the gardener Garden director saying the bite resulted from muscular reflex and Dylan received more than usual Venom from the bite, you know, it's important in this passage of the Bible were about to go through to realize that our enemy the devil that old serpent called Satan in Revelation 12 Revelation, 19:20 all throughout the Bible, even before that not the least interesting those passages reveals that Christ crushes Satan's head and his activities after that crushing may still go on. But in the Garden of Eden the Lord addressed the prophecy as in the say that the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this you should be cursed. You know. Today's sermon is titled The Warrior. In the vine keeper the Lord saves his sinful people the Lord saves his sinful people is the title The subtitles will be going through Isaiah 27 today. So who is our greatest enemy? And what what is he trying to accomplish? And how are we in fact helping him accomplish. Now this this passage in Isaiah. We've been going through is What's called the little apocalypse and the little apocalypse is from 13 to 27. You have the woah passages we've been going through and now we're going through the tail end. So 13 through 23 are really the woe-passages What is 24 through 27 is God's dealing the apocalypse the millennial Kingdom. So today we are in the very tail end of that section covering chapter 27. The first point today is the wicked servant is slain. The wicked serpent is flame. When we think of the wicked serpent. we think of God's Victorious rescue his destruction of Satan, you know you think about The idea that Satan is continually doing harm in this world, you know, what are the consequences of sin? Is that it makes the sinner pity himself instead of causing him to turn to God one of the first signs of new life. Is it the individual take sides with God against himself? So if new life is really there we will side with God, but if we are truly on the world side, we will take pity and call ourselves the victim or say that it's really not our fault. And so in first one we see in that day the Lord with his heart and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan The fleeing serpent Leviathan The twisting surfing and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. You see God's purposes and plans in that day or are finally going to be real and realized you see what we realize as we go through. Isaiah is it the Lord the Lord capital L capital O capital r capital D is the powerful Living God it you know, he feels hard things. He's Relentless. He deals great things equal to the any task and he feels strong things that dominates the sword is great. It's powerful. It's strong. It's hard and it nuts what we see is that there's a war going on sometimes we don't always see the war because we're too caught up in in our own world and that's kind of the screwtape letters idea. If you've ever read CS Lewis screwtape letters. It's a great read because it did tells us a little bit from an imaginative way of what state is trying to accomplish in this world. Intel Hebrews 4:12 that a tells us that the word of God is actually the sword it's a living active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the did the division of Soul and Spirit joints and Marrow Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, you know, there's no other thing in this world that can tell us what the heart speaks. What the heart says except the word of God. What is powerful and what this passage actually is also telling us it is kind of a g k Chesterton said fairy tales and do not tell children that dragons exist exist. No fairy tales tell children that the dragon Canby kill you think we need to realize that are Our enemy can be destroyed.

Psalm 125 5-6 but those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will lead away with the evil doers but peace be upon Israel. You think he's going to be strikes against an app on here. He strikes Leviathan, which is some argue whether it's real or not. Here's the thing is that why would the biblical writers use this image? Unless it was real you see we have stories of dinosaurs are dragons in every part of the world and we found fossil record. So it seems that the biblical writers got it inspired to use this as real and representative of our great. Enemy the devil couple passages that refer to this job. 41:1 Psalm. 104:26 Psalm 74:14 has four different passages that revealed directly to Leviathan if we see him as a fleenor fugitive running from Justice, he's chaotic is Supernatural. He he's organizing people against God. He's twisting fast and slippery and in this could mean like this passages. Tear that he makes straight ways crooked and leads away the evil doers. Twisting is the idea of the fact that he twists facts and he twists morals. The serpent in Genesis 3:1 was more crafty than any of the other beasts. It said the Lord the Lord God made him Satan use the serpent to deceive Eve. Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree of the garden see the serpent takes the fact and twist them. That's exactly what our enemy. That's what he does and he uses our sin nature against us he's able to take those things and cause us to question what God has said that's why we need to be in the word of God. We need to open up the word of God against this unruly enemy this Dragon the power behind the major Nations that we see Assyria Babylon Egypt the corrupting influences of the enemy are happening and it's Satan in the demons. That actually are behind these these Rise and fall of these Nation now got too loud and ordained these nations to come to power. But in reality the power of evil through this whole world system 2nd Corinthians 11:3 Paul Rice, but I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning. Your thoughts will be led astray from his sincere and pure devotion to Christ is he deception is in the blood of the serpent? It's in his very nature to deceive.

Now if you think about it Christ refuse to accept partial truths from demons, he refused to say all your right there. I'll let you make a good point deminer or whoever Legion whoever showed up instead instead. He commanded them to be silent to be still to the author of Lies never use the truth except for evil purposes. And we need to remember that fishermen know that fish will only eat worms, but there is always a hook in The fisherman's worm and there is always a hook in Satan's truth. See thousands of religion have some truth in them. But there's always a hook a deception means to destroy a means for death to take those truths and twist them. We need to remember that we need to remember that Satan uses truth against God's people and people all over he wants your demise. The second point. We're going to Copper today's The Vineyard fills. The Earth was fruit The Vineyard fills the Earth was fruit Isaiah 27 to Matt De a pleasant Vineyard singer singer. We're talking about singing We're talk to you about the fact that we need to depend on God and not self. And so if you think about it, when you drive your car across like a major Bridge like the George Washington Bridge you have perfect faith that it will hold you you and you arrived safe on the other side, but with just as good a faith, you may drive onto some old wooden bridge over a country screwed stream stream. You may think the board they're not going to fall away. But Define if you find that you drive it across and they're decayed you may end up in the Stream figured it. It's not your sincerity or your face, but the object of your face, it's important. You'll be able to get across. That bridge as long as the object is solid and so that's what we need to remember. Is this object of Faith the reality that we are on and putting our faith in Christ. So in that day means the day that price comes back that the object of our faith and he's coming back to Sky assumption. He's going to come back with a shout or a crime it when we see sing hear it actually it is used to raise a shout and it in Psalm 119. 172 is my tongue will singer raise a shout of your word for all your Commandments are righteous or right. So we see that scripture deals that there is good fruit and could Justice in what God has called us to do it. In fact verse 3 Earth impact the vineyard is referred to in Isaiah 5 as well as Isaiah 27 here. Now, there's differences in how God revealed to the briers and Thorns were in first chapter 5 in chapter 27. It says there's none it will see that a minute. This isn't that sad song in chapter 5 verse is a song of Love & Faith bitter grapes. Now, it's a delightful Harvest neglected or broken down. Now the Lord keeps it no rain to cause it to grow now its life-giving water in it. We see that it says I am the Lord And in its keeper every moment I water it was anyone punished it. I keep it night and day see God is looking out for his people. He's guarding and protecting them every moment that every day. He's not going to allow anything outside of his Sovereign hand to affect you. So God's peace is a promise to his people and we see that in Psalm 121. He will not let your foot be moved. He will he who keeps you will not Slumber behold he who keeps Israel. Neither Slumbers nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade on your right hand, but the sun shall not strike you by day nor the Moon by night that the Lord will keep you from all evil. He will keep your very life. The Lord will keep your goings out and you're coming in from this time forth and forevermore even in the midst of this Christ. This is pandemic that we're Experiencing. God is your key for you don't have to fear. Obviously, there's precautions you can have to make sure that you're a good neighbor. And you obey the government. This is why the deacons and in the pastor's decided to close the building because that was the recommendation from the government is not out of fear, but is out of respect and love for a neighbor. Now, that doesn't mean we can't look for other ways to have Community to be in touch to continue to be in touch continue to pray and obviously we all long for the day that we will be back together soon, you know, Isaiah 26:3 last week we talked about this you keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because what he trust in you and God, are you realizing that he works for your good? George Muller said be assured if you walk with them look to him and expect help from him. He will never fail you. So God doesn't say he might show up. He always shows up looking never fails his children Genesis 318 talked about the fact that there is thorns and thistles bring forth because of the fall and you shall eat the plants of the field as its thorns and thistles are the result of the following. We see this in verse for the first four states in chapter 27, the fury is not in me who would set briers and Thorns against me in battle. I would not go I would go through them and I would burn them together. So God saying that no one can come against them. There's there's not going to be Thorns or thistles in his Vineyard as he cares for it that Going to be able to grow he said if they did he would take them out and so are surance is the fact that God is caring and if you look at the world for ten boom says if you look at the world you'll be distressed. If you look within you'll be depressed. But if you look at God you will be at rest. And so maybe look at God in this current time in this world that we now live in this time that we find ourselves in so you can anyone who opposes God will find no way to even come against them. So verse 5 says or let them lay hold of my protection. Let them make peace with me. Let them make peace with me. He said that twice let them make peace with me and we talked a little bit about peace is not just the cessation of hostilities it actually active relationship with Christ so that have you trusted Christ. Are you trusting Christ is Christ the center of your life, that's a quest. We have to ask ourselves moment. My bill it day-by-day is Art. Is he the center of our lives in The Chronicles of Narnia? The last battle is called there's this group of drawers that end up getting pulled away and in and basically deceived by a false Aslan it wouldn't have happening is they will not allow themselves to see the true Aslan see that they're so skeptical and critical that they are caught in the blindness in in in the futility of their own thinking it's a we have to realize that God has called us to look to the true Christ The Living Christ and not to our own thinking and trying to figure things out on her own but we look to Christ and we asked for his help we look for the Lord is my light and my salvation Whom Shall I Fear the Lord is a strong. Hold on my life. Whom Shall I be afraid see we don't have to be afraid if the Lord is the center in the stronghold of Our Lives Psalm 27:1 says Corrie ten boom says there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still wanting peace in the world continues to go its own way. I see God God's willing and calling people to himself. That's why Christ came and died for our sins. You know, there's going to be days to come that are going to be hard. I'm not even saying that based on the current situation but based on the reality, but God says that he will bring about true fruit Isaiah 11:1 says there shall come forth a shoot for the stuff of Jessie Show bear fruit. And that's the same that we see in verse 6 and chapter 27 those who come he show cause to take Route CC that he causes to take God will cause there to be good growth in your life. If you are in Christ, Israel show Blossom and Bud and fill the face of the world with fruit. We know Israel today exports a lot of produce in in here is talking about notches the produce Attic Sports, but the reality that there is to be borne by following Christ. We we want to be filled with the spirit Isaiah 11:2 says the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Christ the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. These are all characteristics of those who are trusting Christ completely. In fact are we just celebrated Saint Patrick's Day or you'll kind of Mark on the calendar. I guess, you know, we watch the torchlighters voice of the martyrs little 30 minutes segment on that and it was amazing to see this man of Faith this Godly missionary one of the first missionaries to go into Ireland and everyone told him he was crazy. But what was his prayer Christ be with me Christ before me Christ behind me Christ Within Me Christ beneath me in Christ above me and Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me. We want to have that same faith and centered on Christ The Gospel Keeps Us in the faithful care. God cares for you. He's created you for a purpose. And that's why we are called to be the church together in this time and place it in. The third point is the people are punished to purify Isaiah 27 7 through 11 to the fruit. The third point was people are punished to purify to the first point the wicked serpent slain, the second point the vineyard fills the Earth with fruit the third Point God's people are punished to purify. So when we think about purification, you know, he's struck them those who struck struck them as he struck those who struck them or have they been slain as their Slayers were slaves. He got is causing these to happen measure by measure but by Exile you can end it with them you remove them from his Fierce brat in the day of the East Wind God God causes these things to happen he causes Everything that's in his control too, that now what what is the measure of him doing these things of measure by measure striking by striking the idea here is the god is looking for repentance that you see the gospel cause us to come and let us return to the Lord for he has torn us that we he may heal us he has struck his down and he may bind us up after 2 days. He will revive us on the third day. He will raise us up that we may live before him were called to live before Christ live before his very presence and if we're going to do that, we have to repent and return to him. Many times many days we wake up and realize that we need to draw clothes for him to revive us. That's our prayer. We would love to see if I think all of us would love to see the church, live in these last days that we would see Christ made much of in the midst of a world that is very selfish. And so verse 9, therefore if this the guilt of Jacob will be a tone for and this will be the full fruit of the removal of a sin when he makes all the stones of the altars like the chockstone crushed to Pieces. No Ash room or incense Alters will remain standing to God's going to do away with the false idol worship these altars that are built on guilt and said we see that the other iniquity or guilt Isaiah 53:5 Hours for a transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities was upon him and upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace and by his very wounds we are healed that's powerful when we realize that God himself became our atoning sacrifice. He atone for our sins. In fact Romans 11 talked about this as well. It is the first back to this passage that were studying and this will be my Covenant with them when I take away their sin Romans 11 27 that gives that illusion that he's taken away or that's what it means to atone for he takes them away pays for them. And so we don't have to. Perform Penance or beat ourselves up. We just repent and believe and trust price with our lives. That's what we're called to do. Cuz when Christ had offered for all-time a single sacrifice for sins. What do you do? He sat down at the right hand of God. He accomplished it and he sat down having completed what he accomplished. That's exactly Our Savior and Lord verses 10 through 11 for the Fortified city is solitary a habitation Desert Inn and forsaken like the Wilderness there the calf raises and there it lies down in strips its branches and when it's Bowser dry, they are broken women, and make fire of them for this is a people without discernment therefore he who made them. Will not have compassion on them uniform them will show them no favor brothers and sisters. May God have compassion on us and may we seek him maybe look to him and not bees like these broken and dry branches that are going to be burnt top Ephesians. 4 States and they were darkened in their understanding is alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their Hardness of Heart. They have become a callus. They'll become callous and have given themselves up to the sensuality greedy to practice every kind of impurity. You know. This past week. I saw that that song by John Lennon has come back out the Imagine song. It's like the anthem of the secular World. It doesn't believe in God and what what a depressing song to think of has the lyrics start imagine. There's no heaven and no hell below above only Sky. I'd rather imagine and see what the Bible teaches not what some washed-up a hippie theology teaches. You see we have to know that God's word is true. In fact, if we're not animals there is Grace for those who turn to Christ is Grace for those who believe in Christ.

You know Tim Keller tells of the story of a woman coming to him insane asking like how he can believe in the gospel in and she says you you realize what this means. He said I asked her. What was so scary about unmerited free Grace. She replied something like this if I have if I was saved by my good works, then there would be a limit to what God could ask me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with rights. I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life, but it's really but if it is really true that I'm a sinner saved by Shear Grace at God's infinite cost. Then there's nothing he cannot ask of me. That's that's where we're at is it were saved by the grace of God and that his cost and now we belong to him. We're not our own our bank accounts are not our own every part of our lives have been redeemed and bought by the blood of Christ. And so now we see at the end of this pass who's the elect are gathered by a trumpet the elector gathered by a trumpet. What does that mean? Well, we are called Together by The Very nature what God has called us to you know, Spurgeon says give yourself to the church that you are members of. The church. He says you may not have found the perfect church because you may not find the perfect church. He said but if you did find it and you joined it, then you would have ruined it because what none of us are perfect. He said the church is a nursery for God's week children where they are nourished and engrossed wrong. It is a fold for Christ sheep the for Christ Family it is the dearest place on Earth. We need to realize that God has called us to be Salt and Light in community. That's what the church is called to be in the church is called to do in his power by his grace. Are there 2712 Suzanne that day again in that day the days that will become from the river Euphrates to the brook of Egypt the Lord will thrash out the green and you will be gleaned 1 by 100 people of Israel of gleaning has to do with wheat or olives. It's the idea of either a shaking a tree so that they all fall and you gather them up or throwing up the throwing in the are the green and the grain that is separated from the chaff is there's a separate in that God is doing in these days that we we live in now, he's Gathering he's saving you storing a people for himself.

Psalm 72:8 this may he may he have dominion from sea to Sea in from the river to the ends of the Earth to God's Dominion is not limited. And in fact, it goes from sea to Sea in to the ends of the Earth and that's what we need to realize that God is at work at the end of all things. There's only two kinds of people those who say to God thy will be done and those to those to whom God says in the end die will be done. You think people are choosing their own destiny when they do they choose poorly or wrongly. There's going to be a great trumpet that comes in fact, Isaiah 2713 citizen that day a great trumpet know. This is a great trumpet will be blown and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out of the land of Egypt will come in and Worship the Lord on the Holy Mountain in Jerusalem. This is calling for a New Jerusalem that will happen during the millennial reign of Christ. In fact of the great trumpet passages. Here's a here's all the ones in the Bible that talk about the great trumpet. The day of atonement was the first time it was talked about in The Citadel debts were forgiven Leviticus 25 9 appear suddenly and like lightning Zechariah 9:14 talks about the return of the Messiah. The Gatherings children Matthew 24:31 again talking about when Christ comes back imperishable and changed 1st Corinthians 15:52 talks about the Rapture in us coming and becoming being called to Christ in Maiden perishable and transformed and then the 4th time is descending from heaven with a trumpet 1st Thessalonians 4:16. So we see that the trumpet is is a clear sign that God has returned for his people that we just Christ came once and one day he will come again. In fact Ephesians 3:6 this mystery did the Gentiles are fellow heirs. We we've been drafted in the vine wrapped it into the vineyard were members of the same body in Port Acres of the promise in Christ. Jesus Through The Gospel is the gospel that saves It's a weird thankful for that. Now that we have one more Point here. The point is the gospel of Isaiah the gospel of Isaiah. You know just a couple overview points as we wrap up this the segment. It was Christ whose death destroy Satan that ancient Serpent and freed his people from death. Hebrews 2 14 15 since since there for the children share in Flesh and Blood he himself likewise / took the same things that through through death. He might destroy the one who has the power over death that is the devil in the end delivered the all those who threw the fear of deaths were subject to lifelong slavery. So God is working for the reversal of death the death of death and that's what Christ did at the cross. You see. He sees the dragon the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan and found him for a thousand years and then it goes on to say after the thousand years and he's let out he throws them into the Lake of Fire forever. I suck it going to pull out at this taxi. It was Christ resurrection that shows the advancing the kingdom of God that continues to crush Satan under our beautiful feet. Where is that found in scripture 12 Romans 10:15, and how are they to preach unless they are sad as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news. If you preach good news, God says your feet are beautiful because they're they're doing what they've been designed to do in town of the Good King who is coming again and came first time through the God of Peace. This is later in Romans. He writes the God of Peace will soon Crush Satan under your feet in the grace of our Lord. Jesus Christ will be with you. So the third third take away here is at at his second coming. Jesus will crush the final Pagan Empire the Antichrist and send the beast in the devil to the Lake of Fire by the harsh and Powerful sword that comes from his mouth is very word. You know. 2nd Thessalonians 2:8 talks about the Lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus Christ will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming through we know that Christ is more powerful than anyone that claims to have authority in this world affect price promise in his Great Commission that all authority had already been given to him so we can trust him. Forcepoint Christ guarantees fruitfulness to all who give up on self-sufficiency and come to trust completely in him the True Vine. We see that in John 15. Jesus said I am the vine and you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that there is much fruit for apart from me. You can do what what did he say nothing apart from me? You can do nothing. So we need the we need the Life of Christ flowing through our veins like a branch connected to the Vine. That's what we are called to be. We are called to be dependent branches on the vine of Christ may be continually day-by-day remember that. God's promises of being angry is only because a God's promise of not being angry is only because Christ work on the cross did the wrath of God finally is a verb from the people's got to God is taking away the anger and we saw that in the passage in Romans 3. It says whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This was the show God's righteousness because in his Define forbearance, he passed over former sins. And then fine, I think we have two more here in Christ alone. There are the remnant of Christ in Christ alone are the remnant of Israel chosen by grace and finally say so to at the present time. There is a Remnant chosen by Grace God is drawing and Gathering his people and that's the exciting thing when we share the gospel were called to be faithful recalled the share the truth, but we actually don't save people it's God who saves people were called to participate in his it's a privilege to participate to tell others about Christ. New last week in Christ alone are the scattered people of God gathered together with the gospel trumpet assembled to worship God in the New Jerusalem, praise God. There's going to be a New Jerusalem is going to be a new creation in the millennial Reign and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the Four Winds from one end of the heaven to the other two. God is gathering or will gather his people. So, how do we do this a couple in points your how do we apply this continues to defeat Satan so we can have courage in that we are called the bear fruit centered on Christ. Our Lives are called to share the gospel. Are we fight sin in our lives? We Crush idols and it look for ways to put to death those things that come against God. They raise their head against God. Rebellion and Christ trumpet will one day sound to our hope is ultimately in him alone. You know if enclosing here if if a mammal loses has had it will die almost immediately the snakes and other ectotherms return their which don't need as much oxygen to fuel the brain can live 4 minutes or even hours afterwards. So severing the head isn't going to cause immediate death in the animal so are our enemy the devil has already been defeated at the cross. He's been decapitated. So to speak at the cross and end. We don't have to fear him anymore. What we see in the world are the last gasp of denim, but for the believer Christ has crushed the head and is preparing to sound the trumpet to be of good courage b r a d i close with this Christ is the Lord your keeper every moment. He provides for you. No one can hurt you. He keeps you night and day allergist continue to watch over each person. Who hears this message Continue to be the guy who is The Keeper of the vineyard the Warriors that fights on our behalf Lord. Would you be the Good Shepherd and you lead your people we trust you lean on you and all of our faith is in you all our hope is in you. We pray this in Jesus. Mighty and Powerful name. Amen.