Isaiah 44
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 10/7/2009 7:31 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday October 7, 2009
Isaiah 44
43:28 has left Israel standing in the judgment of God, but God doesn’t want to leave His people standing in judgment.
..... A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, 'Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!' After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, 'Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?' 'No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!'
1-2 The Lord is going to restore Israel and He tells us why – I have chosen/formed you. Israel is uniquely the Lord’s and bears His marks. My identifying mark in my books – TBB. I underline and make notes and the book is uniquely mine. Borrowed/returned years later – I get a thrill!
Jacob: crooked. Jeshurun: upright one. You not only bear the marks of your natural birth, you bear the marks of your spiritual rebirth. We have a tendency to think that the Lord sees us as we are, but in reality, He sees us as He intended us to be. God has a vision for your life. He sees beyond the limitations of who you are today. Abram/Abraham; Simon/Peter.
3 Whatever would hinder the return of the Jews to the land would be removed. This would be a work of the Spirit.
Jesus told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were clothed w/ power from on high. Before they went out, they were to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. A work of restoration is always preceded by the outpouring of the Spirit. Jesus didn’t begin His ministry until He was full of the Spirit.
4-5 Descendants will spring up like grass and poplars (which grow big and tall very fast). Day of Pentecost – 3,000 added to church.
They claim the Lord and each other! When God pours out His Spirit there is an identifying w/ the Lord and the people of God. Many claim the Lord, but not the people of the Lord. The Spirit isn’t in this. “But God’s people are hypocritical/ compromised.” So was Israel and God claims them in vv4-5. And then they claim each other. God will not lead you away from the body of Christ.
6-7 Challenge to idolaters: explain past/predict future - let us know the reasons for the past and the course of the future. The Lord asks, “Can any idol do as I am doing now?”
8 The primary purpose of predictive prophecy is not to inform man of the future but that man might find his security in God – do not tremble/be afraid. I may not know my way around an unfamiliar city, but when I drive w/ someone who is familiar, I can relax.
9 To attempt to create ultimate reality w/ your two hands is an indication of a void. A man who makes a boat needs a boat. A man who builds a house needs a house. A man who fashions an idol needs a god. A boat may take them where they want to go and a house may provide the desired protection. Both of these are taking natural materials to meet natural needs. But the one who takes a tree and fashions an idol is taking natural materials to meet supernatural needs. They believe the natural will give birth to the supernatural/spiritual. This may work out in a pantheistic or panentheistic universe, but not in a Biblical universe. In the Bible, God is not a part of His universe. He is separate from it and doesn’t come packaged in it.
Those who make idols are void (BOHU). …and the earth was formless and void. Void – there’s nothing there. This isn’t speaking of their intellect, but of the condition of their spirit – there’s nothing there. And when you seek to fill a void w/ nothing you are left w/ a void.
10-11 Idolatry fails to deliver what is expected because idolatry is man making God in the image of man. Neb. and statue//Greek gods – petty/jealous/murderous/lustful/vengeful
12-14 It is hard work to make god. A lot of time/energy/expense goes into the creation of an idol. For Isaiah, this is tragic. Isaiah’s premise: an idol cannot do what an idol is expected to do. A rowboat wouldn’t be able to make the passage from NY to London.
15-17 HALF of it he burns/HALF of it he falls down before. This is part of the emptiness of idolatry – it doesn’t become more than what it is, it becomes less than what it is. It is only ½, and not whole.
It is a created thing (finite/limited/under curse) Jesus is not either.
It is an imagined thing (man creating god in his image). This is easy for us to do. We choose what we think will make us happy – and then we go for it. Spouses/houses/position/possessions/pleasure
It is a meaningless thing (meaning assigned arbitrarily). That the same thing can be assigned two, diametrically opposed meanings, is indication of its lack of objective meaning. One year your spouse is your greatest source of satisfaction/next, greatest frustration.
It is a partial thing (part taken from a whole) Jesus fully God/man
It is an arbitrary thing (part destroyed/part deified)
What I have created, created me. What I worked and transformed, works and transforms me. What I had power over and determined its shape now has power over me.
It is an empty thing (it cannot deliver what is hoped for)
Wealth/family/fame…cannot deliver ultimate satisfaction to the soul.
18-20 I had written in the margin of my Bible “intellectual dishonesty”, but it’s not that. It’s spiritual blindness.
21-23 You will not be forgotten by Me – I will stand w/ you!
24-28 I will go before you and make a way.
Cleveland, OH (AP) - A fifteen-year old boy was at the center of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him.
After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.
After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Oakland Raiders, whom everyone firmly believed were not capable of beating anyone!!!
Download | Duration: 00:53:49
Isaiah 44
43:28 has left Israel standing in the judgment of God, but God doesn’t want to leave His people standing in judgment.
..... A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying, 'Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!' After a few seconds, Little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, 'Do you think you're stupid, Little Johnny?' 'No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!'
1-2 The Lord is going to restore Israel and He tells us why – I have chosen/formed you. Israel is uniquely the Lord’s and bears His marks. My identifying mark in my books – TBB. I underline and make notes and the book is uniquely mine. Borrowed/returned years later – I get a thrill!
Jacob: crooked. Jeshurun: upright one. You not only bear the marks of your natural birth, you bear the marks of your spiritual rebirth. We have a tendency to think that the Lord sees us as we are, but in reality, He sees us as He intended us to be. God has a vision for your life. He sees beyond the limitations of who you are today. Abram/Abraham; Simon/Peter.
3 Whatever would hinder the return of the Jews to the land would be removed. This would be a work of the Spirit.
Jesus told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were clothed w/ power from on high. Before they went out, they were to receive the outpouring of the Spirit. A work of restoration is always preceded by the outpouring of the Spirit. Jesus didn’t begin His ministry until He was full of the Spirit.
4-5 Descendants will spring up like grass and poplars (which grow big and tall very fast). Day of Pentecost – 3,000 added to church.
They claim the Lord and each other! When God pours out His Spirit there is an identifying w/ the Lord and the people of God. Many claim the Lord, but not the people of the Lord. The Spirit isn’t in this. “But God’s people are hypocritical/ compromised.” So was Israel and God claims them in vv4-5. And then they claim each other. God will not lead you away from the body of Christ.
6-7 Challenge to idolaters: explain past/predict future - let us know the reasons for the past and the course of the future. The Lord asks, “Can any idol do as I am doing now?”
8 The primary purpose of predictive prophecy is not to inform man of the future but that man might find his security in God – do not tremble/be afraid. I may not know my way around an unfamiliar city, but when I drive w/ someone who is familiar, I can relax.
9 To attempt to create ultimate reality w/ your two hands is an indication of a void. A man who makes a boat needs a boat. A man who builds a house needs a house. A man who fashions an idol needs a god. A boat may take them where they want to go and a house may provide the desired protection. Both of these are taking natural materials to meet natural needs. But the one who takes a tree and fashions an idol is taking natural materials to meet supernatural needs. They believe the natural will give birth to the supernatural/spiritual. This may work out in a pantheistic or panentheistic universe, but not in a Biblical universe. In the Bible, God is not a part of His universe. He is separate from it and doesn’t come packaged in it.
Those who make idols are void (BOHU). …and the earth was formless and void. Void – there’s nothing there. This isn’t speaking of their intellect, but of the condition of their spirit – there’s nothing there. And when you seek to fill a void w/ nothing you are left w/ a void.
10-11 Idolatry fails to deliver what is expected because idolatry is man making God in the image of man. Neb. and statue//Greek gods – petty/jealous/murderous/lustful/vengeful
12-14 It is hard work to make god. A lot of time/energy/expense goes into the creation of an idol. For Isaiah, this is tragic. Isaiah’s premise: an idol cannot do what an idol is expected to do. A rowboat wouldn’t be able to make the passage from NY to London.
15-17 HALF of it he burns/HALF of it he falls down before. This is part of the emptiness of idolatry – it doesn’t become more than what it is, it becomes less than what it is. It is only ½, and not whole.
It is a created thing (finite/limited/under curse) Jesus is not either.
It is an imagined thing (man creating god in his image). This is easy for us to do. We choose what we think will make us happy – and then we go for it. Spouses/houses/position/possessions/pleasure
It is a meaningless thing (meaning assigned arbitrarily). That the same thing can be assigned two, diametrically opposed meanings, is indication of its lack of objective meaning. One year your spouse is your greatest source of satisfaction/next, greatest frustration.
It is a partial thing (part taken from a whole) Jesus fully God/man
It is an arbitrary thing (part destroyed/part deified)
What I have created, created me. What I worked and transformed, works and transforms me. What I had power over and determined its shape now has power over me.
It is an empty thing (it cannot deliver what is hoped for)
Wealth/family/fame…cannot deliver ultimate satisfaction to the soul.
18-20 I had written in the margin of my Bible “intellectual dishonesty”, but it’s not that. It’s spiritual blindness.
21-23 You will not be forgotten by Me – I will stand w/ you!
24-28 I will go before you and make a way.
Cleveland, OH (AP) - A fifteen-year old boy was at the center of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible.
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him.
After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.
After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Oakland Raiders, whom everyone firmly believed were not capable of beating anyone!!!
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