Sermon Tone Analysis

Copyright June 5, 2022 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

From time to time we take a look at comments made about our various YouTube sermons.

When you dismiss the comments that are really ads for someone else’s videos, and those who just want us to know they think we are working for the Devil, the thing that comes through clearly is there are several people who are desperately confused about the gospel.

I think we can learn how to get the gospel right from Isaiah 42 and 43.

In Isaiah 42:10 we read something that we hear a few times in the Bible

10 Sing a new song to the Lord!

Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!

This is not a verse teaching that new music is better than older music.

He is saying “sing a fresh (as opposed to stale) song to the Lord”.

We can sing stale contemporary songs as well as stale old hymns.

When we don’t know what we are singing or are only singing for our enjoyment, we are singing a stale song.

When the music, spirit, or energy of our lives is focused on Him and the words and melodies are drawing us to Him . . . it is a fresh song.

This “new or fresh song” isn’t just about our worship times, it is about the melody of our lives.

God wants us to maintain a fresh faith every day.

The wonders of the gospel should never grow stale.

His mercies should be “new every morning.”

The way we keep faith fresh is to preach the gospel to ourselves continually.

I’m not talking about yelling at yourself in a mirror.

This is about reminding ourselves of the staggering nature of the gospel.

Isaiah lays this out for us.

We are By Nature Rebels Against God

In verses 18-20 we are shown the problem that necessitates salvation.

After Isaiah tells us about the coming Messiah he seems to explain why a Messiah is necessary,

18 “Listen, you who are deaf!

Look and see, you blind!

19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant?

Who is as deaf as my messenger?

Who is as blind as my chosen people,

the servant of the Lord?

20 You see and recognize what is right

but refuse to act on it.

You hear with your ears,

but you don’t really listen.”

God is the Sovereign Lord.

He will not tolerate those who rebel against Him.

He cannot do so because of His perfect character.

The Lord will not pervert that which is right.

It is right to honor and praise Him.

We may nod in agreement with these truths because we see how Israel didn’t seem to “get it.”

But as we nod at the obstinacy of Israel, we are also indicting ourselves.

We have so much more evidence than the people of Israel and we are still obstinate!

Romans 1 Paul give a similar indictment.

Paul argues that we should know, just by looking at creation, that there is a God, and we should honor Him as the One who gives us life.

However, he adds,

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.

And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.

As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.

23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

(Romans 1:21-23)

In Ephesians 2 Paul says,

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.

He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.

By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

(Ephesians 2:1-4)

We are ALL alike in our need to be made right with God.

We naturally follow the ways of Satan.

God gave us a choice and we chose (and continue to choose) to rebel against Him.

We chose to pretend to BE God rather than submit TO God.

Israel had not learned from their past.

Have we? Isaiah relayed the questions of the Lord:

23 Who will hear these lessons from the past

and see the ruin that awaits you in the future?

24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt?

It was the Lord, against whom we sinned,

for the people would not walk in his path,

nor would they obey his law.

25 Therefore, he poured out his fury on them

and destroyed them in battle.

They were enveloped in flames,

but they still refused to understand.

They were consumed by fire,

but they did not learn their lesson.

(Isaiah 42:23-25)

We talk a great deal about free will, but our wills are bent and biased.

As such, we will always choose the way of rebellion.

We have a predisposition to sin.

The thing we must remember about free choices is that there are consequences that come with those choices.

The consequence of our free choice to ignore and rebel against God is the wrath of God!

Anyone who believes they have been good enough to enter Heaven either does not see themselves clearly, or do not see God clearly.

They are either unacquainted with what sin is, or feel they are immune to it.

They either are in deep denial about the reality of sin in their lives, or they feel they should not be held accountable for their choices.

They do not see the Holy nature of God and how far short we fall of His standards.

God’s Remedy (43:1-7)

The next words in Isaiah 43 are worth celebrating,

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lordwho created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says,

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

2 When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression,

you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.

3 For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

The word that is translated “ransomed” in the New Living Translation is the same word as the one translated “redeemed” in other translations.

This is a significant word throughout the Bible.