People Need a Savior
Isaiah 1:1-20
INTRO:
This week I was in Barnes and Noble and saw a new book of Nostradamus’s predictions. This book Catalogued events from 1945 and looking into the future. I saw another book about prophecy that said the stock market has another crash coming soon. People are infatuated with prophecy, prediction, and the end times.
Today, I want to look at one of the major prophets from the Old Testament, Isaiah. Now, I want to spend a moment on this concept of a prophet. The prophets of the Old Testament were primarily, God’s spokesmen. They spoke the message of God to the people. While they did foretell future events, much of what they did was what we preachers do on Sundays. We, like the prophets of old, speak God’s message to His people.
In essence, their message was much like our message today, “Time is running out—you better get right with God.” Another way to say it is, “Stop living your way and start living God’s way.” Or, “If you are tired of the way your life is going, come to God for a fresh start.”
So, are you ready to read some words of this prophet? READ Isaiah 1:1-8.
1. A Fractured Relationship: God’s people do not recognize Him (1-8).
Verse 4: Four Descriptions of this Fractured Relationship (Motyer’s Commentary, p. 43)
1) The nation, intended to be distinct in holiness (Ex. 19:6), became the sinning nation.
2) The people, redeemed and unique (Deut. 4:4-6), became heavy with iniquity.
3) A brood/seed is the word for Abraham’s descendants (Isa. 41.8) but is traced as a line of evildoers.
4) Children/sons indicates the relationship of the redeemed to God (Ex. 4.22) which was meant to issue a distinctive life (Deut. 14.1-2) but is not manifested in corruption/spoil/ruin.
In essence,
2. A Meaningless Relationship: God’s people worship with empty routines (10-15)
While holding on to their own way of living, they still worshiped God. Are we ever guilty of doing the very same thing? Do we ever live for self and not God, but still worship God at times by going through the motions? Somehow we think that our motions and routines draw us closer to God. God says that He is tired of “this trampling of my courts and meaningless or empty offerings” (verses 12-13).
Question to ask ourselves when we come to worship: Are we real or just going through the motions? What about our offerings? First, financially, are we bringing empty offerings or real offerings? In the April edition of Christianity Today, an article entitled “The Evangelical Scandal,” stated that the average church member gives about 2.6% of their income to the church. If the average American tithed, God’s church would have another $143 billion (April, 2005, p. 71).
Some questions to think about…
1) What about our hearts when we come to worship? Are we more concerned with what songs we sing or what God is doing in your life?
2) When we gather for worship, do we come eager to hear a word from God?
3) Would God ever say of our assemblies, worship gatherings, “I am tired of these ritual meetings and meaningless offerings?”
4) Do you worship God with your whole heart on Sunday? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
5) When we come around the Lord’s Table, do we ponder the importance of this meal?
3. A Restored Relationship: God’s people are offering forgiveness if they are willing to accept it (1:16-20).
Verse 18 is one of my favorite verses of all Scripture. This verse describes the beauty of a fresh start, a new beginning.
Key verse: verse 19, “If you are willing and obedient…” Not to suggest that we earn our salvation, but this verse does demand that if you want to be in this relationship with God, He wants you to be faithful.
Application:
- Admit that we are wrong and in some cases quite wicked. No matter the case we are sinners and have dishonored our relationship with our heavenly Father.
- Allow God to heal your hurts. We need God to heal us. Stop trying to work things out on your own.
- Remain Faithful to God and not religion. Stop going through the motions. Ask God to give you a fresh passion.
