Stability in an Unstable World
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· 18 viewsIn the most unstable of times, follow God’s path and enjoy the stability of His abiding presence
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Transcript
Pre-sermon Reading
The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.
Introduction
Share a few highlights of the last couple of weeks:
A lot can happen in a month’s time
The last service I was in here was on February 13th -
On the 18th, some of the men and I went to men’s retreat in Cascade
Colby Helton was scheduled to go with us, but he didn’t make it. We found out on Saturday morning, the 19th, that Colby had passed — Such a shock.
By the time I went to speak at his memorial on the 25th of February, I was at peace, knowing Colby’s love for the Lord.
On February 27th, I left for Springfield for my class at AGTS — I got really sick and nearly missed the first day of class.
It was a week of deep introspection and a close walk with the Lord
Hung out with 2 cousins —
Went out with a friend — met a young lady from Ukraine
Did I mention, a war broke out while I was away?
Friday March 10th, I went to Minnesota to spend a few days resting and visiting with Megan and her family — God really blessed my time there.
I arrived home on Friday night, and here I am today — tired but content in the Lord’s love and His powerful presence.
Here’s the situation we wake up to this morning — a ruthless dictator has been indiscriminately attacking Ukraine…not just their military members…but hospitals, neighborhoods…some entire cities have been destroyed. More than 2 million have fled for their lives. The number of orphans is quickly rising. The people left in Ukraine…many of them are starving and have very little water or supplies.
Our God will not allow this thing to go unpunished — He is righteous and just. We don’t know how or when…but His justice and mercy will prevail.
In the meantime, our best weapon is prayer and lots of it.
Scripture Reading:
God’s people, throughout history, have known plenty of heartache, destruction, and sorrow at the hands of brutal enemies.
By the time Isaiah writes chapter 33, Ephraim had experienced the Lord’s judgement. Jerusalem came next, suffering at the hands of the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib.
Now God’s judgement is pronounced upon those aggressors.
Doom to you, Destroyer, not yet destroyed; And doom to you, Betrayer, not yet betrayed. When you finish destroying, your turn will come—destroyed! When you quit betraying, your turn will come—betrayed! God, treat us kindly. You’re our only hope. First thing in the morning, be there for us! When things go bad, help us out! You spoke in thunder and everyone ran. You showed up and nations scattered. Your people, for a change, got in on the loot, picking the field clean of the enemy spoils. God is supremely esteemed. His center holds. Zion brims over with all that is just and right. God keeps your days stable and secure— salvation, wisdom, and knowledge in surplus, and best of all, Zion’s treasure, Fear-of-God. But look! Listen! Tough men weep openly. Peacemaking diplomats are in bitter tears. The roads are empty— not a soul out on the streets. The peace treaty is broken, its conditions violated, its signers reviled. The very ground under our feet mourns, the Lebanon mountains hang their heads, Flowering Sharon is a weed-choked gully, and the forests of Bashan and Carmel? Bare branches. “Now I’m stepping in,” God says. “From now on, I’m taking over. The gloves come off. Now see how mighty I am. There’s nothing to you. Pregnant with chaff, you produce straw babies; full of hot air, you self-destruct. You’re good for nothing but fertilizer and fuel. Earth to earth—and the sooner the better. “If you’re far away, get the reports on what I’ve done, And if you’re in the neighborhood, pay attention to my record. The sinners in Zion are rightly terrified; the godless are at their wit’s end: ‘Who among us can survive this firestorm? Who of us can get out of this purge with our lives?’ ” The answer’s simple: Live right, speak the truth, despise exploitation, refuse bribes, reject violence, avoid evil amusements. This is how you raise your standard of living! A safe and stable way to live. A nourishing, satisfying way to live. Oh, you’ll see the king—a beautiful sight! And you’ll take in the wide vistas of land. In your mind you’ll go over the old terrors: “What happened to that Assyrian inspector who condemned and confiscated? And the one who gouged us of taxes? And that cheating moneychanger?” Gone! Out of sight forever! Their insolence nothing now but a fading stain on the carpet! No more putting up with a language you can’t understand, no more sounds of gibberish in your ears. Just take a look at Zion, will you? Centering our worship in festival feasts! Feast your eyes on Jerusalem, a quiet and permanent place to live. No more pulling up stakes and moving on, no more patched-together lean-tos. Instead, God! God majestic, God himself the place in a country of broad rivers and streams, But rivers blocked to invading ships, off-limits to predatory pirates. For God makes all the decisions here. God is our king. God runs this place and he’ll keep us safe. Ha! Your sails are in shreds, your mast wobbling, your hold leaking. The plunder is free for the taking, free for all— for weak and strong, insiders and outsiders. No one in Zion will say, “I’m sick.” Best of all, they’ll all live guilt-free.
I love verses 5-6...
The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.
As we fear the Lord and follow Him, He is our stability, our security — He is the one who centers us in His presence — He saves us through Jesus — He gives us the wisdom we need to navigate an unstable world
God is our hope in an unstable world
God is our hope in an unstable world
It’s important to stay alert to the fact that we have an enemy who persists in his attempts to destroy us
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
God, treat us kindly. You’re our only hope. First thing in the morning, be there for us! When things go bad, help us out!
Let us ask God each day for His grace
He is our only hope
When things seem unstable — when they go bad, always cry out to God for help
He is our hope…if we trust in anything or anyone else, we will be sorely disappointed
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
Where is your hope this morning?
God is our deliverer in an unstable world
God is our deliverer in an unstable world
Our own efforts will eventually fail — He is our true deliverer
Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man.
We need the deliverance only God can provide in this unstable world
Who do you call upon when your life becomes unstable?
When the world is unstable?
God is our path in an unstable world
God is our path in an unstable world
The sinners in Zion are rightly terrified; the godless are at their wit’s end: ‘Who among us can survive this firestorm? Who of us can get out of this purge with our lives?’ ” The answer’s simple: Live right, speak the truth, despise exploitation, refuse bribes, reject violence, avoid evil amusements. This is how you raise your standard of living! A safe and stable way to live. A nourishing, satisfying way to live.
The secret to living in the stability of God’s blessings is to follow His path...
Live Right
Speak the Truth
Despise Exploitation
Refuse Bribes
Reject Violence
Avoid Evil Amusements
v. 16 This is how you raise your standard of living! A safe and stable way to live. A nourishing, satisfying way to live.
These characteristics do no make you right with God…they are the result of following Jesus and loving God heart, soul, mind, and strength — and loving your neighbor as yourself.
Challenge:
In the most unstable of times, follow God’s path and enjoy the stability of His abiding presence
The ultimate victory over the enemy took place at the Cross, through the suffering and shed blood of Jesus, and His resurrection!
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