No One To Save You

Psalm 77 - the questions - there is no real answer just trust and praise in God.

Romans 1:18-21 - Scripture reading

Prayer for Zionsville- Sister church - Please pray for continued unity and an increased awareness understanding and practice of community and the togetherness of the body.

FCF: things we all do that bring comfort, and really not anything else.

Pointing to a car at stoplights

Heres the point, even though these things bring us comfort, in reality they do nothing. they offer at best fleeting hope. But at worst, well, when the things that we look to to bring comfort and peace do so at the expense of God taking his rightful place of authority and glory in our lives, well, then we have some serious problems. then they become idols.

Idols will once again come into focus in our passage for today. God will call not just his people to account for their desire to worship idols, but the entire nation of Babylon will be accountable for not giving God his due honor and glory and praise and for instead looking to idols, images of wood and metal, anything other than God for peace and security.

Our passage for today is Isaiah 46-47. lets read it in its entirety, all two chapters this morning.

Isaiah 46-47. Lets Pray

PRAY

I want to remind us the context of where we find ourselves, specifically where we have just come from in Isaiah. We have been talking about the often mysterious, always greater-than-us ways of God. Last week specifically we talked about how often God moves, God works and we just have to live in faith, we end up saying, God is God, God is FOR God, and God is good, therefore i will trust in him.

but that's not always easy, and often we look to ways that make sense to us (even when in reality they don't make sense at all). we begin to, as Paul would say in Romans 1, “exchange the truth of God for a lie. and that lie is what lies at the heart of Idolatry. And we need to understand that when we try and trust in idols, in things that we fashion that make sense to us, there will be consequences. That is in the forefront of our passage today.

We often think of Idolatry as worshipping this image, this figure of whatever it is fashioned to look liken, but at its heart it is an exchange. it is trading faith and trust in God for faith and trust in ANYTHING else. IT is taking the promises and truth of Who God is and what he has done and instead placing our hope and trust in whatever else.

So modern Idols don't necessarily carry the names of the ones we read in this passage,

Isaiah 46:1 ESV

Bel bows down; Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and livestock; these things you carry are borne as burdens on weary beasts.

but they still have names. The idol of 401k, because when I grow old, that will take care of me. Work, Health, wealth, now a days we can add more names to this list, Vaccines, Science, and these are things that, in their proper place, are good and right and useful, but when they become our source of Hope and comfort we have some serious problems.

We have idols of things that are good gifts form God but we elevate the gift above the giver and it becomes an idol, they have names too, Family, rest, we could go on.

As John Calvin so eloquently said: “mans nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.”

And so if there is one message that this passage has for us today it is this:

Idols CANNOT SAVE

they are weak and impotent and powerless. They bring us comfort SOMETIMES, but in they end they cannot do anything else for us. when we face trials and calamity and crisis and whatever else we face we will only ever be as strong as the foundation that we are built on.

So if we are built on a foundation of idols, of man centered, man made thoughts and strength, then we will be on shaky ground for sure. IDOLS cannot save and yet we build our hope and trust on them.

The passage we read ends with an interesting challenge from God,

Isaiah 47:12–15 ESV

Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you. Behold, they are like stubble; the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before! Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have done business with you from your youth; they wander about, each in his own direction; there is no one to save you.

Here is the point that I have been trying to make, it is not just the idols as an actual physical idols, it is all that is wrapped up in placing your trust in anything other than God. It is your enchantments, and your sorceries, it is your actions and thoughts of ways other that God to get through the storms and trial of life. and here is the sarcastic challenge, keep on trusting in them, and just SEE what happens.

maybe this time will be different, (don’t hold your breath) maybe this time it will work (no it wont) but maybe, just maybe this will have you on the side of victory) verse 12 ends with.

but no.

they are consumed with fire, they and hear this verse 14 THEY CANNOT DELIVER THEMSELVES, so how will these things deliver you. They cant.

they wander around, aimlessly, they are nothing they do nothing they save nothing and if you trust in idols, here is your warning, it is stern and harsh, but it is the truth, if you will not trust in God, the last line of 47:15: THERE IS NO ONE TO SAVE YOU.

but this is actually worse. It is not just that idols are impotent, it is not JUST that they cannot save, in fact, they end up doing the very opposite of what we desire of them.

It is interesting if you pay attention to the world, and the message and thought of the world you will often hear a sentiment that sounds something like this: what is wrong with it if it makes someone feel better?

The thought is this, just because it is “wrong” in one persons eyes, as long as no one gets hurt, what is the big deal? if you get comfort from new age spirituality and mediation and whatever else, you do you, whatever makes you feel better.

If you get comfort it mind altering substances, drinking or drugs, hey, who am I to judge, if it makes you feel better...

we live in a world where adultery is not just tolerated, but is championed because if you need comfort in the arms of someone you do you. I have literally herd the argument that adultery can make a marriage stronger. but here’s the truth:

not only can these things never save, they are worse than just that because they will bring you down. they no only cannot save, they also can bring death. why?

Because:

They are BURDENSOME

verse one opens on an important picture that we cannot miss. these idols specifically mentioned in verse one were a physical burden, you have to carry your God. It is weighing you down.

I love backpacking, don’t get to do it, but I love it. and one thing that you do when you are backpacking is count each and every ounce. everything you put in your pack you make a decision on: is this worth the weight that I will have to carry. do I really need a fork and knife and spoon and plate and bowl and cup or can I make do with just one spork and a camp cup? how many changes of clothes do i REALLY need? and God’s point is here is that the idols that you carry not only DO NOTHING, but they are in fact just extra weight that you have to carry.

and even spiritually I have seen this be the case. Lets just take the example of the idol of a nice retirement account.

if that is where all your hope and trust in the future lies then it becomes a huge burden on you. Each and ever up and down of the stock market is not just an p and down of the stock market, it is the up and down of your hope for the future. It is supposed to give you peace, but when the Dow Jones is down 900 points in a day, it is not a joy, that retirement account is a burden.

And dont get me started on people who think that they can beat the system doing “day trading” who end up losing her whole future and PRESENT as they literally bankrupt themselves looking for wealth and hope for their future. so they are a burden that:

They DO NOTHING

but again to make the backpacking analogy, these idols maybe they are a burden, but it might be worth it. Wen you pack your bag the heaviest thing you often pack is water. Water is heavy, but it is worth it.

The math does not add up with idols.

Isaiah 46:7 ESV

They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.

I cannot say this any clearer. this is a heartbreaking picture when we stop and think about it. all this work, all this care, and diligence. they carry this great burden of an idol. they set it in it’s place, a place of high honor. and what does it do. It stands there. it just stands there.

In fact, It cannot move. if now you need your God to be somewhere else it is going to take more care and effort, because Idols DO NOTHING.

and the heartbreaking thought. if you cry out to it, it will not answer. because it cannot hear. and it cannot save you from your trouble.

a whole pile of “feel better” and “comfort” is worth nothing when you need to be saved. and Idols cannot do that in fact, and here is the horrible truth, they do less than nothing:

They reap WRATH AND JUDGEMENT

God SAVES PERFECTLY

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

He lifts OUR BURDENS

Isaiah 46:3–4 ESV

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.

Matthew 11:28 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

He rules PROVIDENTIALLY

definition of providence: the care and control of God. - Cambridge

Isaiah 46:8–11 ESV

“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

He gives SALVATION AND GLORY

Isaiah 46:12–13 ESV

“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.”