ISAIAH 452008 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Isaiah 45

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. This evening we're in Isaiah chapter 45, and it's an exciting chapter, it's an amazing chapter because God is speaking through Isaiah about a man who would live many years after the life of Isaiah.

And really the theme, there's a couple themes throughout this passage. One is that God will say over and over again, I am the Lord, there is no other. And it's been something he's been sharing with the nation of Israel over and over again through the previous chapters, that there is no other God. We need to understand and recognize there's not a selection and a variety when it comes to God. There's no other God.

There's a selection and variety of false gods and things that we can worship that are not true and living gods. But when it comes to true and living God, when it comes to the creator of the universe, when it comes to salvation, when it comes to our savior, there's not a selection. There's one item on the menu. It is the Lord and he alone is God.

Here he's going to be calling out by name this man that will live some 200 years after Isaiah is prophesying these things. Way in advance, God knew what was going to be happening. Now, the background for what is going to happen, it has not happened yet as Isaiah is pronouncing these things.

It doesn't happen in Isaiah's lifetime. Again, it happens many years later. But the background, the context of what is going on is the nation of Judah has been conquered by the Babylonian Empire. The nation of Babylon has conquered the whole region, conquered Jerusalem and the nation of Judah, and taken the people of Judah, God's people, the Israelites,

Back to Babylon as captives. And they've been living there for about 70 years. They are there in Babylon and they are...

established there. They still remain. They keep their identity. They continue to love God, to serve God as best they can without a temple. They still have their issues about worshiping false gods, but they've been taken captive. They've been completely leveled, really, because of the rebellion against God, because of their choice to worship all of these other gods instead of the one true and living God.

And as a result, Babylon came and conquered them. God allowed Babylon to do this. In fact, God says, I'm going to use Babylon to do this because you are so rebellious and because you refuse to obey me and listen to my voice. And so they are taken captive. But even though they're taken captive, God has been promising that he is not done with them.

It's not that he sent Babylon to wipe them out and that's it. I'm never dealing with you again, which is good news because sometimes we feel like that's how God treats us, right? We feel like he's through with me. I've participated in that too many times. I've crossed the line over and over again and he's just done with me. But God is not that way. He is ever patient and his mercies are ever new. And so God is not done with us.

Judah. And so even though they'd been taken captive, in this chapter, chapter 45, God is laying out his plan for the time that they will be delivered from that captivity, allowed to, allowed to, they're going to be allowed to return to their land, to rebuild their temple and be established once again there in the nation of Israel as God's people.

And so it's an amazing prophecy of what is going to take place. And it's important as we look at these things and recognize that they are being talked about, they're being prophesied about many years before they happen so that you and I can understand and take comfort whatever we face and whatever we go through. Sometimes as a result of our own sin, like the nation of Judah. Sometimes just as a result of life and difficult times happen and difficult days come across. But what we're going to do

way in advance, God knows. And He knows exactly how He's going to get us through. He knows exactly how He's going to deliver us, how He's going to carry us through the midst of our difficulties, whether it's caused by our own sin or just life in general. God knows exactly what we're going through and how He's going to bring us through this. And so we can take great comfort that we have a personal God who is right here with us. He's not surprised that

by our issues, he's not surprised by our difficulties, but he knows exactly what is going on and exactly what the outcome will be. We start here in Isaiah chapter 45, and let's look at verse 1 and 2. Verse 1 says, "...thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors so that the gates will not be shut."

Verse 2, I will go before you and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. Here God says to what he calls his anointed. And then he calls him by name to Cyrus. Cyrus...

was a man who is a king of the nation of Persia. There was a combination of the Medes and the Persians. They joined together and Cyrus was the king, the military commander of this nation that combined together to overthrow many nations, but also including the nation of Babylon. His name is Cyrus, God says. Now, the interesting thing about this is that

As Isaiah is speaking these things and writing these things, we're looking at about 150 to 200 years before Cyrus was even born. Now just consider that for a moment. 200 years before Cyrus was born, God says to his anointed, "'To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double door so that the gates will not be shut.'"

200 years before this man is even born, God says, I've held his right hand. I'm subduing nations before him. I'm opening up the double doors so that the gates will not be shut. I am with him. I'm going to make the crooked places straight in front of him. I'm going to break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron and

200 years before he is born, God is saying of this man that he is going to use him to conquer nations, that he is going to open doors for him so that the nations that he conquers will not be difficult to overcome. The nation of Babylon was, well, the city of Babylon rather, was thought to be impossible to invade. They had walls built.

300 feet high. 300 feet high. 80 feet thick. Now, just to give you an idea, some perspective. The total length of the sanctuary, what do we measure it to be, Mike? Where's Mike? There we go. It was like 61 feet, 62 feet, something like that. So add on 20 feet...

To the end of the sanctuary, that's 80 feet long. That's how wide these walls were around Babylon. They didn't have the machinery that we have today. That's a pretty impressive wall. There's descriptions of it that they can have chariot races on this wall. I mean, it was like a road, kind of like the 91 freeway, around the whole thing, 300 feet high.

And it encircled the city. It was 15 square miles. So this was an impressive city. It wasn't a little, you know, town with kind of a picket fence around it. This was a city that had impenetrable walls. There was the river Euphrates that flowed down through the middle of the city. And so...

As the river flowed through the city, they would have rivers that crossed back and forth across the river. And near the gates, the wall, they would have gates there that would protect the city. They would be closed at night so that people could not enter through that way. But Cyrus, by the inspiration of God, did something brilliant. A little bit upstream, he diverted the flow of the Euphrates River.

He took the water that was flowing through, removed it from the normal path through the city of Babylon, and as a result, the water level went very low. And so they were able to go then through the water gates, underneath the water gates where the water would normally be rushing through. They were able, because he diverted the flow, to kind of sneak in that way. They didn't have to come and conquer and build siege mounds and battle in that sense.

For many people in the city, it's kind of been described as, you know, you went to bed one night and Babylon was the ruling power and you woke up the next morning and now it was the Persian Empire that was ruling. There was no real battle to speak of. He conquered the city. God did exactly what he said here. He opened before him the double doors so that the gates would not be shut. God gave him the ability...

The inspiration to come in and conquer the city without a real battle. 200 years before God calls him by name, tells him how he's going to come in, what the battle will be like, and how it will be accomplished. Look at verse 3.

He says, I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that you may know that I, the Lord, who called you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob, my servant's sake, and Israel, my elect, I have even called you by your name. I have named you, though you have not known me. Here God says to Cyrus, look, Cyrus, I've called you by name. I've named you. You haven't known me.

You didn't know and you weren't aware that it was me leading you and helping you in these battles. But I have written these things about you. I've called you and I've given you the nation of Babylon, the cities in this way, so that you would know that I am God. I called you by name that you would know that I am the God of Israel. Even though you haven't known me, Cyrus,

You haven't been worshiping me and following me, but I know you and I call you by name. This is such an incredible miracle. Again, 200 years before Cyrus is born. Over 100 years before the nation of Judah is actually conquered by Babylon. Before the Medo-Persian Empire is really a big threat.

God calls by name the leader that will deliver his people, that will come in and conquer Babylon. So consider 200 years ago from today for some perspective. The year is 1808. Any idea who the president of the United States is? Any history majors? No, in 1808, it was Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.

So it would be similar to Thomas Jefferson writing down in his journal and us finding it today and says Rob Escalante is going to go to Calvary Chapel Living Water in Corona driving a gold-colored, what is it, infinity or something like that? I mean, it's kind of the same equivalent of what we're talking about here.

Naming someone by name 200 years in advance, how they're going to come in, the way it's going to take place. It's incredible what God has done here. He says, I've done this so that you would know that I am God. I've called you by name, that there would be no question that I am the God of Israel. Isn't it awesome that God knows us by name, even if it's 200 years before we're born?

It's hard for us to imagine and consider, yet it's true. We often look at John 3, verse 16, which tells us, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And it is true that God so loved the world. And we often think about the world and it's kind of in general. He just loved everybody. But that doesn't quite cover exactly the love that God has.

Because it wasn't just everybody and so, you know, you're just one of the everybody and so you happen to be a part. But God knows every individual. He didn't die just for everybody, but for every individual. Every person individually, God loves. He knows you by name. Now, some of you may not believe me, so can you do me a favor? Turn to the person next to you and just let them know God knows you by name. He knows you by name.

He knows your shoe size. He knows your toe ring size. He knows your sock size, your pants size. He knows your shirt size, your waist size, your hat size, how many hairs are on your head, George says, how many of them are gray and how many of them aren't. He knows every detail about you. Not because he just knows everything, although that's part of it, but because he loves you.

And he knows the details of your life and what you're going through and what you've gone through and what you're going to go through. He knows everything about you. God knows you by name and he calls you by name just as he called Cyrus by name that you and I would know that he is the true and living God. Why do you think you're here tonight? You're here tonight because God wanted you to know that he calls you by name.

It's not just because you've been going to this church for a while. It's not just because, you know, you were brought by a particular friend or your relative comes to the church or you knew Pastor Tom and that's why you've always come to this place. You're here tonight, this evening, right now, right here, reading Isaiah chapter 45 so that you would know that God calls you by name, that he knows every detail about you, that you would know that he alone is God.

In verse 5, God goes on to say, I am the Lord, there is no other. There is no God besides me. I will gird you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I, the Lord, do all these things. God says, look, there is no other God.

He says in verse 3, I've done these things, I've called you by name, that you would know that I am God. But then in verse 6, he says that they may know that I am God. That is my people. God has done this work with Cyrus that you would know, that I would know, that he alone is God. He's fulfilled this prophecy. It took place. It happened just as God said.

So that we would know, that his people Israel would know at that time, but even still to this day, that we would know that he alone is God, that there is no other. He says, there is no God besides me. And even if you haven't known me, even if you haven't walked with me, God says, I will gird you, I will lift you up, I will care for you.

He says, I'm the one who forms the light and creates darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I, the Lord, do these things. I'm the one who's in control, God says. I am in control. I am the King of kings and Lord of lords. There is no other God besides me. There's no other God. There's just one God. And this is such a wonderful thing. Aren't you glad there's only one God? This makes...

It really makes life simple instead of complex. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2.5, For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. There's one God and there's one way to get to God. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. There's one God and one way to him. And that is through Jesus Christ, through faith in him, because of what he did for us upon the cross.

It makes it simple, not complex. The nations around Israel, the nations of the day, and even nations today, worship all kinds of gods. And there's great variety and choice out there as far as religions go. And a person seeking for a relationship with God could get very frustrated and confused. Which way is it where I can find fulfillment and satisfaction? Do I follow the ways of Buddha?

Or do I follow after Muhammad? Do I seek out God in the Mormon church? Or there in the Protestant church? Or what about the Catholic church? And there's all this variety. And it can be very confusing and difficult and complicated. Imagine the Egyptian empire.

There we're familiar with the ten plagues that took place as God was bringing his people out. And through those ten plagues, God was dealing with some of their gods and many of the things that they worshipped.

They had all kinds of gods for everything. When Paul was ministering to the people on Mars Hill, they had gods to every type of images for all types of gods and even erected an altar that said to the unknown God, you know, maybe we missed one. And so if you want to please God in that society, in that mentality, well, it's difficult. It's difficult.

Well, if you're going to be in this type of environment, you've got to worship this kind of God and make sure you please that God. But if you're going to be over here, then you've got to worship this other God. And if you want this kind of prosperity, then you've got to worship that God. And you'd have all these lists of things that you'd have to do if there was multiple gods. If there was multiple gods that you were trying to please, that you were trying to serve, it would be very complicated. It's like going to a restaurant and ordering a meal. Sometimes they have too many options for my taste.

Well, do you want mashed potatoes or fries or baked potato? Well, okay, I'll have the fries. Well, what about fruit? You want some fresh fruit? You want some seasoned vegetables? I guess I'll take the vegetables. You want soup or salad with that? What kind of soup you have? Well, we have these kinds of soups. No, I'll have a salad. Okay, what kind of dressing you want? I mean, it goes on and on and on. What kind of bread you want? Do you want dessert with that? And what kind of drink? And on and on. It's too complicated for me sometimes. I just like to get a number three.

And I'll get my own drink over here at the fountain. Can you imagine? So you go up and say, I want a God. What do you want? A God with compassion or mercy? I'll take the mercy. Well, do you want power or his presence? I'll take his presence. Well, do you want love or grace?

Depending on the God depends on what you get, if there's multiple gods. But here we have one God. There is no other. It's not complicated. It's not difficult. It's not hard to figure out. You don't have to be a mastermind of religion. There's one God, one mediator, the man Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ being God became a man to pave the way, to open the way for us to have a relationship with God the Father, to open the way for us to spend eternity with him.

to be pleasing to God, to be right standing with God, not because of all these things we do, but by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He made it simple for us. There's one God. There is no other. And God is saying this over and over again that we would understand. There's one God. He loves us dearly. He knows us by name. He knows what we're going through. And he's made a way through Jesus Christ for us to come to him.

that he can help us through whatever we face. Let's go on in verse 8 through 10. It says, Verse 9. What are you making?

Or shall the handiwork say, he has no hands? Woe to him who says to his father, what are you begetting? Or to the woman, what have you brought forth? God says, woe to you if you strive with your maker. He says, look, I am the Lord. I am the creator. There is no other. All creation is subject to him. All of creation is obedient to him.

He says, Now, potsherds are just broken pieces of pottery, little clay fragments. And he's using that term to refer to us. We're just clay. We're just broken pieces of pottery.

Especially when our lives are, well, when they're ruled and governed by our own selves. We just become a big mess, broken pieces of pottery. Not the masterpieces that God intends when we run our own lives, but just shattered lives, broken pieces. And he says it's one thing for those pot shirts, for you and I as human beings, as lumps of clay. It's one thing for us to strive with one another, right?

But how are you, as a broken piece of clay, going to strive with God? Woe to him who strives with his Maker. Woe to you who strive against God. Striving against God? What, are you crazy? Can you imagine a clay pot speaking to the one who is forming it? What are you doing? What do you think you're doing, God, Maker? What's happening? Who gives you the right to do that?

How could you allow this? Of course, it's hard to imagine, right? Unless we're talking about a Disney movie. When do clay pots speak? Well, when it's you and I. And how often do we strive against our maker? God says, woe to you who strive with your maker, who strive against God, who try to fight what God has said and try to rebel against what God is doing. Woe to you who strive. It's like picking a fight with a tank. Would you do that? I'm going to kick you.

hit you real hard of course not there's no match there's no battle in the same way woe to you if you strive with your maker woe to you if you strive with god woe to you if you disregard what he says you won't win you can't beat him you can't outthink him you can't overcome him with strength you cannot escape god and what he has said woe to you if you strive with your maker shall the handiwork say he has no hands god can't do anything

Don't be misled. Don't be confused. You fight against God. You disregard what he says. Woe to you. You'll sorrow for it. You'll receive the consequences of it. Don't be deceived. God cannot be mocked. Verse 11. Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and his maker, ask me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the work of my hands you command me.

I have made the earth and created man on it. I, my hands, stretched out the heavens, and all their hosts I have commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways. He shall build my city and let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, says the Lord of hosts. Here's what God says, your maker. He says, I have made the earth. I have created man on it.

How is it that there is life on this planet? It wasn't aliens that came and, you know, planted life here. It wasn't amoebas rubbing against each other and then exploding and then evolving and developing. God created life. He created you. God is your maker. He says, I, my hands, he's emphasizing, look, my hands stretched out the heavens and

When you leave this evening, look up at the heavens. Look at the extent of the hosts of heavens, the stars. God stretched out. His hands stretched out the heavens. And the God who created the universe says, I have raised him up in righteousness. That is Cyrus. I've raised up Cyrus. I will direct his ways. He will build my city. That is the city of Jerusalem.

God says of Cyrus, I've raised him up. He's going to build my city. He's going to let my exiles go free. Those who have been taken captive and held captive in Babylon for 70 years, they're going to go free through Cyrus because I raised him up. And he's not going to do it for price or reward. It's not going to be some great reward for him to do so. But he is going to do it. I am God.

I'm the creator of the heavens and the earth. I said it's going to happen. It is going to come to pass. You want to question me? Hey, I am the creator. I'm the one who made man. I'm the one who made the earth, the heavens and the stars. Cyrus will let my people go. And indeed, 200 years later, he did. We can read about it in Ezra chapter 1. It was accomplished just as God said. Cyrus let the people of Israel return to their land.

to rebuild the city and rebuild the temple of God. Verse 14, Thus says the Lord, The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush and of the Sabians, men of stature, shall come over to you, and they shall be yours. They shall walk behind you. They shall come over in chains. They shall bow down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying, Surely God is in you, and there is no other, there is no other God."

Verse 15, truly you are God who hides yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Verse 16, they shall be ashamed and also disgraced, all of them. They shall go in confusion together who are makers of idols. But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever. There is no other God. Even the other nations there in verse 14 will recognize this.

And say, surely God is in you. There is no other. There's no other God. All the nations will recognize God and His people.

There in verse 16, the idolaters, those who make idols, those who worship false gods, they will be ashamed and disgraced. Again, woe to you who strive against your Maker. If you're not submitted to God, if you're not obedient to God, if you don't worship God, if He's not the priority and passion of your life, if He's not the Lord of your life, woe to you. Jesus said, if you're not for Me, you're against Me. Woe to you if you strive against your Maker.

They shall be ashamed and disgraced, God says. Those who rebel against God, those who do not follow God, those who do not live in relationship with God, will be ashamed and disgraced. No matter what their excuse is or reason is, no matter what it is that they think that they're doing or worshipping, if you do not live in relationship with God, you will be ashamed and disgraced. God says there's no other God. Even the other nations will recognize this. But Israel...

There in verse 17, God's people will be saved with an everlasting salvation. God's people will never be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever. So here's the menu you choose. Worship other gods, not worship the true and living God, not live your life for him and be ashamed and disgraced, or put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Live your life in submission to him. Let him be the Lord of your life and be saved forever.

Forever and ever, never to be ashamed or disgraced. Instead of being disgraced, we'll be encompassed by grace. We won't be without grace, but we'll be filled with grace. The grace of God we talked about on Sunday. God's goodness towards us that we do not deserve, including salvation, including eternal life, including so much more than we can ever imagine, that can enter into our hearts and enter into our minds.

There is no other God. The choice is ours, whether we will serve Him, whether we will worship Him or not. If we choose to worship Him, if we choose to follow Him, if we choose to be one of His children, we will never be ashamed or disgraced. But if we choose not to, woe, woe to you if you strive against your Maker. Woe to you if you rebel against God. And we might think, I'm not really an enemy of God.

I just don't want to do this, or I don't want this part, or I don't want to give up this in my life. Again, Jesus said, look, if you're not for me, if you don't give yourself to me completely, you're against me. We want to live halfway in Christ and halfway in the world. It doesn't work that way. Jesus said of the lukewarm church there in Revelation chapter 3, I'll spew you out of my mouth. If you're half-hearted, if you're lukewarm in the faith,

If you're just kind of a so-so follower of God, he says, I'll spew you out. You take my name, you claim to know me, but you, well, we saw it in Titus chapter 1 verse 16, those who profess to know God but in works deny him. Woe to you if you strive against your maker. Woe to you if you profess his name. Live not according to his standards. Woe to you if you don't walk in relationship with God.

Woe to you if you strive against your creator who loved you enough to send his son to die upon the cross for you. Look at verse 18. For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord and there is no other. Verse 19. I have not spoken in secret. Verse 19.

Again, God establishes himself. Who is he? He is the creator of the heavens. He is God who formed the earth. He established it.

He's the one who created it to be inhabited. There's great studies we can look at on this. The exact position of the earth in our solar system and the exact way that it orbits and rotates and everything. And it makes the perfect conditions to be inhabited. God says, I did that. I put it there. I accomplished this. I established this. And he says in verse 19, I have not spoken in secret. I haven't said to Jacob, seek me in vain.

What's God saying? He says, look, I'm not playing hide and go seek with you. I'm not teasing you, ha ha, try to find me, when you cannot. I'm not saying things in secrets so that you can't know what I desire, so that you can't know what my will is. I'm not trying to trick you. I'm not trying to deceive you. I'm not hiding my will from you and my plans from you. I'm not hiding the way of salvation from you.

God's not playing hide and go seek. Jesus said the same thing in John 18, 20. There as he was on trial, he says, look, I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple where Jews always meet and in secret I have said nothing. God is not trying to keep his will hidden from you. He's not trying to keep his word from you. He's not trying to keep it this great mystery that you can never know him and that you can never find him.

Instead, he commands you, seek me. He says in Deuteronomy 4.29, if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Jesus says in Matthew 7.7, keep on seeking and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. Ask and it will be given to you. God...

It's not some distant, far off God who's trying to keep himself hidden in the shadows so that you can't find him, so that you can't know what he desires, so that it's so difficult to try to please him and know what he wants and live for him. God is anxious to reveal himself to you. He's anxious to deliver to you his word and his will and his passion for your life. He's anxious for you to find him, to know him, to draw close to him.

He's anxious for you. He's right there waiting. He's just waiting for us because He will not force Himself upon us. He won't smack you in the head and say, I'm the Creator. You worship Me. He says, I stand at the door and knock. I stand at the door and knock. Will you open the door? Will you let me be the Lord of your life? The Creator of the heavens and the earth stands at the door and knocks. He's not the police who come and beat down the door.

He comes and he knocks. That's also a quote from Revelation chapter 3. And you know who that was said to? The church.

I'm not just talking to people who have never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, although if that is true of you, if you haven't got right with God, if you haven't made a profession of faith, if you haven't been born again, you need to do so. God stands at the door and He knocks. But I'm also talking to us as believers in Jesus Christ that we've grown callous to Him and we don't seek Him and we strive against Him and we want to live our own lives, but we continue to do the ritual of church. And God says, I'm right here.

I don't want a religion with you. I want a relationship. I want to know you. I want to walk with you. I want you to hear my voice and follow me. I want to draw close to you. I want you to draw close to me. God desires a relationship with us. He knows us by name. He knows the details of us. Before we were ever born, before time even began, He knew everything about you because He loves you and He desires to be with you.

And He's not trying to keep Himself hidden from you. But He desires for you to know Him. To know how much He loves you. He desires for you to allow Him to work in your life. But He won't force Himself upon us. And when we lock Him out, it's our choice. It's us that strive against our Maker. Our Maker doesn't strive against us. If He strove against us, well, there wouldn't be any battle. We would be gone before you could snap your fingers.

that there's no competition there. If God was trying to get rid of us, if he was against us, we'd be gone. Or in reality, we would have never existed. Because why would he bother? If he was just going to strive against us, why would he bother even creating us? He would know in advance. He wouldn't even have to go through the trouble. But because you exist, because you're here, God says, look, I know you.

I love you. I am God. There is no other. I'm not playing hide and go seek. I'm not trying to keep my voice secret. I'm not trying to be hidden from you. I want you to know me. I want you to hear my voice. I want you to know what I want to do in your life. I want you to know what I think about this issue and that. I want you to know what I would say in the situations that you face. I haven't spoken in secret, God says, but I just will not force myself upon you.

I'm waiting for you. Seek and you will find. Turn to God. He says in verse 20, assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together you who have escaped the nations. They have no knowledge who carry the wood of their carved image and pray to a God that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case. Let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient times?

who has told it from that time, have not I the Lord, and there is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior, there is none besides me. God again makes it clear, I'm the one. I can tell the end from the beginning. I'm the one. There is no other. I am the one God. I am the one Savior. If you want to worship other things, God says, I'll allow you to present your case.

I'll allow you to worship those things. I'll allow you to disregard me and disobey me and run from me. I will allow you to do that. But instead he asked in verse 22, look to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. God gives us the freedom of choice. If you want to strive against him, you can. If you don't want to follow him, you don't have to. Woe to you. It's a bad choice, but he'll let you. He allows you to choose God.

to walk away from Him. He allows you to choose to turn your back upon Him. He allows you to choose to replace Him with other passions and priorities in your life. He allows you to choose. He gives you the opportunity. He will not force you. But His request to you, His desire for you, is that you would be saved, that you would look to Him, that you would turn to Him. He's not hiding. He's not in some secret place. He's right there.

All you need to do. He says, look to me all you ends of the earth for I am God and there is no other. Verse 23, I have sworn by myself the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall

shall take an oath. Verse 24, He shall say, Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him. In the Lord all the descendants of Israel shall be justified and shall glory. God says, Look. Look to me and be saved. Why? Because there's coming a time when every knee will bow. You can bow your knee right now and worship God and surrender to Him.

to give your life to him, to look to him and be saved. You can bow your knee right now to get right with God, maybe back right with God because you have wandered away from him. You can bow your knee right now or you will bow it later. When you stand before him, when it's too late, you are going to bow before him. You're going to recognize that he is God and that there is no other.

You're going to recognize that salvation is in Him and Him alone. Right now or later on on Judgment Day. One day you will stand before Him. I will stand before Him. He is a gracious God in that He gives us the opportunity right now. If we will bow before Him now. If we will make Him our Savior and Lord. If we will receive Him, His plan, His will, His purposes. If we will walk in relationship with Him, we shall be justified.

We shall glory. There's great things in store for those who love God, for those who walk with God, for those who bow right now and surrender to Him. But woe to him who strives with his Maker. Whether you like it or not, there will come a day when you will bow before God. And there will be no excuses. Lord, I just wasn't ready. It wasn't clear enough. I didn't understand. I didn't know.

God tells us in Romans chapter 1 that all men are without excuse. None of us have an excuse. None of us have a good enough reason not to love God and walk with Him. Every one of us will be held accountable for what we chose to do with Jesus Christ. And it's not just a decision we made maybe on the field of the harvest crusade, but it's a decision that we make each day. Will I walk with God this day? Will I draw near to God this day? Will I look to Him? Will I walk in relationship with Him?

The worship team is going to come up now and lead us in a few songs. And during this first song, I want to encourage you, if you need to get right with God, if you want to bow down before Him right now this evening to look to Him and be saved, if you want to establish your relationship with God and be born again or get right with Him because you've walked away, Richard and Roman are going to be up here on either side and they would love to pray with you and agree with you.

I would encourage you. I would challenge you. Like God, I request, I beseech, I command, come up. Get right with God. Don't continue on in a state of rebellion and striving against God. As they worship, consider, He knows your name. He knows every detail about you. He knows what you're going through, what you struggle. Look to Him and be saved. Put your faith and trust in Him. Draw close to Him during this time.

Allow God to minister to your heart. He loves you so much. He desires for you to know him. He desires eternal blessing for you. He desires salvation for you. We're not just talking about eternity, but he desires strength for you this day and joy and hope, fullness of joy and abundant life. You know what we need? We need more of Jesus in us.

Let's take this time. He's not hiding from us. He's not secret and aloof. He's not some distant, far-off God. He's right here in our midst. Let's take this time to receive from Him what He has for us by giving ourselves completely to Him. If you need prayer, if you want to get right with God, come on up. If not, stay there and get right with God in your seat. He knows your name. He knows what you're going through. Every thought, every heartache,

Every excuse, He knows it all. And He says, look to me. Let's look to Him this evening. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.