The Stability Of Your Times
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
In the days of Isaiah (ca. 700 B.C.), the kingdom of Judah was facing perilous times.
Assyria was advancing from the north, conquering kingdom after kingdom.
Even the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity.
As Assyria drew near to Jerusalem, the people were undecided as to where to turn.
Some advocated they give themselves they give themselves up to the Assyrians.
Others looked to the south, believing an alliance with Egypt would save them.
Isaiah was sent by God to warn the people to do neither.
The key to their salvation was to trust in the Lord, not men.
The Lord would provide the stability they needed, when all seemed lost.
In Isaiah 33:5-6 we find one such exhortation to put their trust in the Lord.
6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.
Though removed from the days of Isaiah by thousands of years.
The counsel given by him still rings true!
In troubled times, the Lord provides "The Stability Of Your Times."
To illustrate how this is true even today, let's begin by noticing the unstable condition of our times and the effect such instability can have on people.
The Unstable Conditions Of Today
The Unstable Conditions Of Today
Life Is Disturbing.
Life Is Disturbing.
There are many disturbing but common conditions for everyone.
Sickness, death, natural disasters are all disturbing but common.
1 “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.
There are some disturbing things that are more common to our times.
The threat of road-rage, cancer, inflation, recession, unemployment, school shootings, riots (at the moment).
These disturbing realities can have some adverse effects on us.
We can become anxious, fearful, depressed.
Even Christians can get caught up these things and begin murmuring or complaining.
We, if not careful, can find our joy in Christ missing.
And yet…
Some Are Not Disturbed.
Some Are Not Disturbed.
Even though they experience the same things which devastate others.
The same financial crises, diseases, uncertainties, etc.
Somehow, they still find cause for great joy and stability in their lives.
Summary
Summary
Why the different reaction? Is there some source of strength that some have found that others have not?
You and I know there is, it is the “stability God provides” during troublesome times.
From our text in Isaiah 33:6 we learn how the Lord provides stability for us.
So what is…
The Stability Provided By God
The Stability Provided By God
Wisdom & Knowledge.
Wisdom & Knowledge.
The wisdom and knowledge that comes from above is that which helps us face LIFE.
It helps us in life by guiding and protecting us from pitfalls.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
It helps us in life by providing comfort and confidence in times of turmoil.
21 My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. 23 Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. 24 If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, 26 for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
God is willing to provide us the wisdom we need if we are willing to look to Him for such.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
The stability provide by God not only is found in the wisdom and knowledge from God but in the abundance of…
Salvation
Salvation
The “abundance of salvation” brought by Lord and given to each of us, in the faith, helps us face anything including death.
Knowing we have a promised home greater than anything in this life we can face any adversity, any circumstance this life throws our way.
Consider the great apostle Paul for a moment.
Was there anyone whom mankind’s sin impacted more other than Christ, and yet he had one of the strongest hopes of all.
1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
This great hope is what gave way to his wonderful attitude about the hardships of this life he had endured.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary
Summary
Yes, the wisdom, knowledge, and salvation found only in the Lord provides the stability we need for our times!
Wisdom and knowledge providing stability in facing life, salvation providing stability to face death.
But what is it that leads us to this treasure of wisdom, knowledge and salvation from the Lord which is "The Stability Of Your Times?”
In other words what is…
The Key To This Stability
The Key To This Stability
Fear The Lord.
Fear The Lord.
Notice it is the “fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.
There is no stability in Christ today or with God ever without this.
It is the beginning of knowledge.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
It is the beginning of wisdom.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
It is required to be accepted by God.
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
It is required in order to receive God’s word.
26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.
It is required for our spiritual growth.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
But why, why is the “fear of the Lord” the key in so many areas of life to our stability?
Because it is the fear of the Lord that turns us away from evil and into the steadfast love and faithfulness of our God.
6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
Summary
Summary
A reverence for God and His righteous judgments is an effective motivation.
By departing from evil, we turn to God.
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
The reality is when we turn to God, the fear of the Lord becomes a source of great blessings.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Those who lack stability in troubled times do so because they lack the wisdom, knowledge, and salvation of the Lord.
They lack these things because they do not have the fear of the Lord.
A proper fear of the Lord would prompt them to turn from evil and turn to God.
Where we would find His knowledge, wisdom, and salvation.
Which in turn would provide "The Stability Of Your Times.”
With such stability, we can rightly say along with the Hebrew writer, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).
Annie Johnson Flint once wrote:
God has not promised,
Skies always blue
All our lives through;
God has not promised,
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.
But God has promised,
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
Light for the way,
Yes, God has promised,
Grace for the trials,
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.