Things Are Turning Around

Jesus and the fig tree.

We have an interesting poem by Isaiah about Israel and Judah. He likens them to a vineyard, His vineyard that is facing destruction, not because he isn't powerful enough to protect them, but because of their sin and backsliding, because they have turned what was good into something bad.

Why does Isaiah refer to "My Beloved" twice - perhaps his personal experience and relationship with God.

Notice how it changes from He to I (My)

48:05 The Bitter Grapes - What are they?

They are spelled out in the woes, Woe comes from a word of regret no current English word that fits we have to use the Archaic word Alas.

8-10 The bitter grape Greed - a result of covetousness (If I just had what somebody else had I'd be Happy - Paul calls it idolatry the worship of this world. "Is it true that the destruction of the nation begins with greed." 11-12 The bitter grape is self-indulgence - 18-19 The Bitter grape is scornful and mocking scorn for what is right sin with a cart rope. 20-21 Two woes but I think they go together the bitter grapes are deliberate rejection of what is right. Reversing the moral order 22-23 Particularly aimed at the leaders - drunk are getting drunker and in effect perverting justice.

I want to go back and look at 20-21 a little closer this morning, more than a rejection of what is right, but going so far as to reverse the moral order so now good is evil and evil is bad. Can I say I think we are in that stage as a country. Just a few years ago it was common that it any major event a member of the clergy was present and would pray or bless whatever the occasion, but it was only a cultural thing, and when God's approval or blessing was no longer required seemingly or God could not condone or bless what they were doing it has now nearly ceased to exist.

After the great revivals of the early 1900's and after WWII there has been a major cooling off in America, what one time was considered right because God said so, is now questioned and thrown out of the public square as old-school, and irrelevant.

2 Timothy 3:1-9 gives us a break down picture almost like a word infographic of what happens when a society has turned around to do opposite of what God has intended

Personally

Lovers of Self - If I am to culturally relevant I also have to be honest.

We are living amongst the most self-loving, narcissistic, and vain generation in the history of the United States. I know that not every single one is a result or mirrors that sin, but according to one statistic there are over 93 Million selfies taken a day in the world. - 93 million people taking a picture of themselves, usually to post on some form of social media most of them probably not fit for public eyes to see. Covetous/ Lovers of Money - Money talks, and with the recent videos released about planned parenthood, the ethics of recording those aside, the information is unavoidable, they were selling aborted organs and body parts, when supposedly it was against the law, and the government as expected looked the other way. And now what should be the hero for exposing the awful greedy scheme is in legal trouble for how he obtained those videos. WE HAVE LOST OUR MORALS PERSONALLY OVER MONEY Boasters/ Proud Proud / Arrogant Blasphemers/ Abusive - scoffing Culturally

Disobedient to their parents - Bad kids no longer bring shame to their parents. I don't want to stir up trouble, but I was raised that if I got into trouble at school I got into trouble when I got home, today we are seeing thugs, who when they get into trouble with the law, and sometimes out of self-defense are killed, the parents don't apologize for their kids behavior, they start riots and hurt people and demand that the courts say what they want them to say under the name of justice. Unthankful / Ungrateful Unholy Without natural affection / Heartless Trucebreakers / Unappeasable Morally

False accuser/ Slanderous Incontinent/ Without self-control - If you use self-control you are thought of as strange and obnoxious. A goody-goody a Pharisee Fierce/ Brutal - We have only begun to see the brutalitly that is possible when people don't get their way. Despisers of those that are good/ Not loving good

I still get righteously indignant when I think about the scenario that happened a couple years ago, a young man who no doubt was turned down and I know was made a public laughing stock by the media and politicians because he chose to pray before he played, because he chose to wait till he was married. And during that same time another athlete came out that he was gay and was applauded, and cheered, and even received a phone call from the president. Traitors - Treacherous /Head- reckless

Religiously

High minded / Swollen with conceit Lovers of Pleasure

Rather than / more than lovers of God Having the form / appearance of godliness

But denying it's power.

: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Can I say Jesus is coming by again and he's looking at the tree's and vines are we only leaves, do we have grapes are they sweet or bitter? What are we producing?

We see in Isaiah's prophecy that when it produced other than what it was supposed to the hand of God was lifted and the enemy allowed to come in, judgment came down hard and swift. This can happen to a country, this can happen to a person. Our cure or remedy really boils down to two options.

We can humble ourselves

Rev. Johnson Oatman the great Methodist hymn writer put it to lyrics like this;

1 If thou wouldst have the dear Savior from heaven

Walk by thy side from the morn till the even,

There is a rule that each day you must follow:

Humble thyself to walk with God.

Refrain:

Humble thyself and the Lord will draw near thee,

Humble thyself and His presence shall cheer thee;

He will not walk with the proud or the scornful,

Humble thyself to walk with God.

2 Just as the Lord, in the world’s early ages,

Walked and communed with the prophets and sages,

He will come now if you meet the conditions:

Humble thyself to walk with God. [Refrain]

3 Just as the stream finds a bed that is lowly,

So Jesus walks with the pure and the holy;

Cast out thy pride, and in heartfelt contrition

Humble thyself to walk with God. [Refrain]

Evening Light Songs, 1987 (Timeless Truths)

We can be humbled by God. 24-30

The fig tree was cursed, and Judah and Israel had the wall trampled down and carried away into Babylon Verse 26 talks about God raising the white flag of surrender so to speak over the people, and then whistling for the nations to come - When God's wrath is poured out you are in serious trouble. In all of this judgment and wrath there is an over arcing theme of grace, that this humbling is for a while, there will come a day when you will call on me again, and when you do I will be there. For now that door of mercy and grace is open, but one can only wonder how much longer.

As Joshua told the people of his day, chose you this day whom you will serve, will we humble ourselves or will we be humbled by God? The ball is in our court, the choice is in our hands.