The Model Life: Adoration, Part 8

I don't know about you, but I love this time of year.

Yesterday and the day before, when I was dragging all of my

Christmas trees out of my garage and setting them up in my house,

all 12 of them, and I still have a few more to go.

I was thinking about the Christmas narrative.

You know, whenever the weather turns and it gets a little

cloudy and a little cool, the trees got to go up.

And so in my house, they're, they're up.

And in the morning when I get up at 4:30, I go out there to all

my lights on. It's just me and the Lord and my

lights. And it's a great opportunity for

me to commune with him and to read the word of God and to

really understand the beauty of the incarnation of Christ, God

becoming man. And I was thinking about the

Christmas narrative because we're studying the life of

adoration in the First Thessalonians, chapter 5,

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

because that's the model life, the life that adores God.

And there's no better classic illustration of adoration than

the Christmas narrative because adoration begins with with

recognition, a recognition of who God is.

So the Angel said, do not be afraid, for we bring you good

news of great joy. For unto you this day in the

city of David there's been born a Savior, who is Christ the

Lord. That begins the the adoration of

Christmas time, a recognition that the Christ child has come,

the Savior has come, the Lord is among us, a fulfillment of

Isaiah's prophecy. True adoration always begins

with a recognition of who God is, and that recognition then

leads to what I think is the greatest of all words and

excitation to be with Him. Once the shepherd's heard the

word that was given to them, the Bible says they went in haste to

see all that the angels had said.

I don't know how shepherds move in the haste with all of their

sheep. I don't know if they left their

sheep under the care of someone else.

I don't know. All I know is that they could

not wait to see what the angels had said to them, that there was

this excitation to be with the Christ child.

All true adorers of God can't wait to be with God.

That's characteristic of everybody in the Scriptures.

That's what a psalmist said. I was glad when they said to me,

let us go to the House of the Lord.

Why? Because there's one thing I

desire, just one that I may, may dwell in the House of the Lord

and behold his beauty. So all those who adore God,

there's first of all a recognition of who he is.

And there's then there's an excitation to be with him.

That excitation to be with him leads to a proclamation about

him. Because the shepherds then began

to tell Mary and Joseph and all who would hear everything that

they had heard and seen, they they could not wait to proclaim

the good news. So those who adore their God not

only recognize who he is and not only are excited to be with him,

that they want to proclaim him to others.

So there's a, a recognition of who he is.

There's an excitation to, to be with him.

There was a proclamation about him, and then all those who

adore their God will always be characterized by a meditation

upon Him. And that's when Mary would

ponder all these things in her heart.

You imagine being 13 or 14 years of age, just having given birth

to the Christ child and all that that was involved in their lives

with Mary and Joseph and how there was no room in the end.

And the shepherd's come and proclaim to them all that the

angels had said. The overwhelming sense of all in

the life of Mary. She would ponder all these

things in her heart because those who adore their God,

there's always a a meditation upon him.

Once there's a meditation upon him, there was always a

satisfaction with him. That's where Simeon comes in, in

the Christmas narrative, because he was told by the Lord that he

would not die until he saw the Lord's Messiah, the Lord's

Christ. And when he finally holds the

Christ child in his arms, he said, now I can die.

I've lived to see what I've longed to see, and now I can die

because the light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of

our people, Israel, has arrived. And there was this great longing

and satisfaction in the life of Simeon that led him to that

great and glorious day where he helped the Christ child.

Because all those who adore their king are satisfied with

their king. So there's a recognition of him.

There is an excitation to be with him.

There is a proclamation about him.

There was a meditation upon him, there's a satisfaction with him,

and there's always then a presentation to him.

That's where the magi come in. In the Christmas narrative, when

they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, they

bowed before him and presented him gifts.

Because those who adore their God can't wait to present to him

the best of what they have. And there's a presentation to

him. And then of course, lastly,

there is a celebration of him. A celebration of him.

And the whole Christmas narrative is about the

celebration of the coming of the King, as spoken of in Mary's

song and in Zacharias's song there, there was great joy.

And that celebration is is characterized by three specific

attitudes. And Paul gives us those

attitudes in First Thessalonians 5, and they're in the Christmas

narrative. They're joyful, they're

prayerful, and they're thankful. When you look at Mary and

Zacharias's song, it's all about the joy that comes, the great

Thanksgiving that comes because the Messiah has arrived.

But remember in the Christmas narrative there is there was

Anna who was the widow for 84 years and the Bible tells us

that she did not cease to serve and to pray night and day in the

temple. She was prayerful.

So when Paul comes along and says in First Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5, this is the life of those who adore God, they

rejoice always, they're joyful, they pray without ceasing.

They they are prayerful and they give thanks in everything they

are thankful for. This is the will of God in

Christ Jesus concerning you. This is the, the celebratory

nature of those who adore God. But yet there's also things that

those who adore God, they do not do, and that's in verse #19

they, they do not quench the spirit, they do not stifle the

spirit, they do not suffocate the spirit for a variety of

reasons. They, they want to make sure the

spirits work flows in and through them.

They do not quench the spirit. That was last week's sermon.

And they also do not despise prophetic utterances.

That's verse #20 of First Thessalonians 5.

They do not despise prophetic utterances.

They do not look down upon, They do not disregard, they do not

disesteem, they do not disrespect the revelation of the

living God. Those who adore God don't do

that. They don't want to do that.

They don't want to devalue that which is absolutely valuable.

That's why the Lord said man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds for the mouth of God.

That's the value of the truth of God's word.

That's the value of His revelation.

That's why you treasure God's word in your heart, that you

might not sin against him, because you value the word of

God, the revelation of God, the revelation of God spoken, and

the revelation of God written, because you know that every word

of God is breathed into existence by Him.

Second Thessalonians, Second Timothy 316 And that word that's

God breathed is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for

correction, for instruction and righteousness, so that the man

of God will be thoroughly equipped, thoroughly finished,

furnished to do all that will make him complete and perfect.

You value the treasure of the Word of God.

That's why Paul said in Acts chapter 20 verse #32 to the

Acts 20 · chapter mention

Ephesians elders, I commend you to God in the word of His grace,

which is able to build you up. I'm going to leave, but I

commend you to the word of God's grace because that's what you

need to build you up every single day.

The Thessalonians put out the welcome mat. 1st Thessalonians

213 They welcomed the revelation of God, the truth of God's holy

word. And Paul says, whatever you do,

those who adore God, they do not despise, disregard, devalued,

disrespect, think light of the revelation of God's holy Word.

Paul would say in in Second Timothy chapter 4, these words

2 Timothy 4 · chapter mention

to Timothy, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and

of Christ Jesus, who is the judge, the living of the dead,

and by his appearing in his Kingdom.

Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of

season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and

instruction. For the time will come when they

will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears

tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in

accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears

from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

But you, Timothy, be sober and all things endure hardship.

Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry whenever,

whenever. 1 rejects the revelation of God.

There is always a suffocation of the Spirit of God.

But Paul is concerned that that those in Thessalonica always

truly value that which is true and that is the word of God.

But we live in a day and age where where people want to They

want to hear stories about life, but they don't want to hear the

scripture that gives life. We live in a day where where

people want to hear social issues addressed instead of

sound doctrine applied. We live in a day where where

people want to hear words of comfort, not words of

conviction. We live in a day where people

want their ears to be tickled instead of their body to be

tackled by the truth of the living God.

And that's unfortunate because whether you know it or not,

there are people all around us, in churches across the world

that despise the revelation of God.

And you know what? Unfortunately, there are times

in which all of us do, and so I want to show you how that

happens so that we don't do that.

Remember Esau back in the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter 25,

Genesis 25 · chapter mention

verse #34 it says that Esau despised his birthright.

Esau despised his birthright. He considered his birthright of

the covenant blessings of God as less important than his fleshly

desires. Esau in Genesis chapter 25 would

Genesis 25 · chapter mention

sell his birthright to satisfy his belly.

He despised the word of the Lord, and he saw.

And all of his descendants represent all those who have

decided that the world has more to offer than the word of God

has to offer. It's no wonder that God said,

Jacob I have loved, and Esau I have hated.

Why? Because he despised the Word and

desired the world more than the revelation that God had given to

him concerning his covenant birthright.

But he is just one of many examples in the Bible.

The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 1, These words Proverbs

Proverbs 1 · chapter mention

chapter one verse #7 Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Wisdom is the the application of truth and knowledge is the

verification of truth. And therefore fools despise the

truth of God, because it gives wisdom and knowledge.

Proverbs 1/22 it says fools hate knowledge.

And then over in Proverbs chapter 23 verse #9 it says, do

Proverbs 23 · chapter mention

not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the

wisdom of your words. And then over in chapter 19 of

the book of Proverbs, the third verse, it says the foolishness

of a man ruins his way and his heart rages against the Lord.

Those who despise the the words of knowledge and wisdom and

understanding are those whose hearts Rage Against the Lord.

In fact, if you go back to the book of Numbers, the book of

Numbers, the 15th chapter, listen to what God says.

He says the person who does not, who does anything defiantly.

This is Exodus 15 verse #30 the person who does anything

defiantly, whether he is a native or an alien, that one is

blaspheming the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from

among his people. Why?

Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his

commandment. That person shall be completely

cut off. His guilt will be on him.

God is serious about how we take his word.

God demands and God deserves that we keep his commandments,

that we do what his word says that that's why over in in

Matthew Chapter 7, as the Lord would conclude His Sermon on the

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Mount by talking about what it means to to get into the Kingdom

and to live like a child in that Kingdom, He concluded with these

words. Therefore, everyone who hears

these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise

man who built his house on the rock.

The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and

slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had

been founded on the rock. The rock is the truth of Christ.

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act upon

them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

The rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and

slammed against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.

See, the foolish man despises wisdom, he despises knowledge,

he despises understanding, he despises instruction.

And Christ says that man is the foolish man.

He builds his house upon the sand.

There's no foundation there. There's no, there's no solid

rock that's there. But the one who hears my word

and acts upon them, that's the wise man.

That man builds his house upon a firm foundation.

And when storms come, when the winds blow, when the rains

descend upon it, it does not move.

It's immovable. Why?

Because he heard the word of God, he acted upon the word of

God. He did not despise that word.

He did not reject that word. He did not devalue that word.

Instead he valued it, accepted it, believed it.

That man stood with foolish man was unable to stand because he

despised and rejected the revelation that God had given.

Now you're sitting there thinking, probably when you

know, I don't do that. I don't despise the word of God,

I don't reject the truth of God. I don't live obstinately against

the statutes, the commands of God.

I don't do that. I don't despise prophetic

utterances. So let me give you an example, a

biblical illustration of how it comes about in our lives.

And for the most part, we don't even understand it.

We didn't even know what's happening, but it happens.

So the Bible gives us illustrations, it gives us

examples. These things are written for our

instruction. Romans 15 says that we might

understand and have encouragement and have hope that

we might persevere. So the the Old Testament is

filled with instruction. So let me give you a very common

illustration. You're going to know it very

well, but you're going to not not going to know how it comes

about unless you know what leads up to the person's rejecting the

word of the Lord. And this is probably the most

godly man in the Old Testament, and yet he would despise the

revelation of God. It's found in the book of Second

Samuel, the 11th chapter. Let me read it to you.

Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to

battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all

Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged

Rabbah, but David stayed at Jerusalem.

Now when evening came, David arose from his bed and walked

around on the roof of the King's house, and from the roof he saw

a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful in

appearance. So David sent and inquired about

the woman, and one said, is this not Bathsheba the daughter of

Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him he

lay with her, and when she had purified herself from her

uncleanness, she returned to her house.

The woman conceived and she sent and told David and said, I am

pregnant now. We'll stop right there because

you know the story. At least you should know the

story. But you need to understand what

led up to everything in David's life.

And it begins with laziness. You want to begin to reject the

revelation of God. It begins with the laziness, and

laziness always leads to idleness.

At the time when kings go out to war, the Bible says David the

king did not go to war. But why not David?

David was a warrior. He couldn't build a temple

because he was a man of bloodshed.

God said he was Israel's great warrior king.

But when kings go out to war, David decided to stay back, not

fulfill his responsibility as king.

David became lazy, and laziness always leads to idleness.

You don't do anything. So he began to wander around his

palace, and as he wandered around his palace in idleness

because of his laziness, it led to mindlessness.

Always happens this way. Elates to mindlessness.

Now what evening came? David arose from his bed, walked

around the roof, couldn't sleep. But when you don't fulfill your

responsibility, you probably can't sleep.

David had maybe insomnia, I don't know.

But instead of engaging in prayer, because prayerlessness

is always a issue, he engaged in mindlessness and wandered around

his his palace on the roof, and from the roof he saw a woman

bathing. Laziness always leads to

idleness, idleness always leads to mindlessness, and

mindlessness always leads to carelessness.

Carelessness. He sees a woman bathing, and

that carelessness led to lustfulness, says.

And the woman was very beautiful in appearance.

How does 1 become lustful? Because he's lazy,

irresponsible, not fulfilling the duty that God had given to

him, and laziness will lead to idleness.

What do I do now that leads to mindlessness, leads to

carelessness, and then it leads to lustfulness, and that

lustfulness leads always to foolishness says so.

David sent and inquired about the woman.

That's just foolish. David, you're married.

You have wives, plural. This is just foolishness.

And someone said, is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of

Eliam, the wife of Uriah? Foolishness stemming from

lustfulness always leads to covetousness, wanting that which

is not yours, wanting your your neighbor's wife.

Is this not the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

Is she not married David? Do you see the downward spiral

that David finds himself in because he was irresponsible to

begin with? That laziness, that idleness,

that carelessness, that that mindlessness, that lustfulness,

that foolishness led to covetousness.

You wanted a woman that was not his.

David sent messengers and took her.

Covetous always leads to stubbornness, Just complete

stubbornness. I don't want her anyway.

I'm taking her. I'm the king.

I can have her. I deserve her stubbornness on

the part of Israel's greatest king, Israel's godliest king.

That stubbornness led to the next step, which was

fearlessness. For it says David sent

messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay

with her. No Fear, No Fear whatsoever, No

Fear of the consequences, No Fear of the violation of God.

He has gone down this spiral so far.

That God is not even a thought in His mind led to fearlessness,

and that fearlessness led to lawlessness to live as if there

was no law. He committed adultery.

He slept with another man's wife.

That lawlessness from fearlessness and stubbornness

and covetousness led to shamelessness.

Shamelessness. When she had purified herself

from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

No big deal. Just a night of frolicking in

the sheets. Shamelessness.

Just get up, cleanse yourself, and move on as if nothing ever

happened. That shamelessness LED to the

relentless passion of unrighteousness.

Why the woman conceived. She sent and told David and

said, I am pregnant. In this relentless passion of

unrighteousness would be the continued spiral of David's

life, leading him further and further away from his God into

sin by trying to figure out how to manipulate Uriah, how to

deceive Uriah, how to ultimately kill Uriah so they could have

Bathsheba for himself. This is the king of Israel, this

is David. So God sends the prophet Nathan

to David and Nathan gives a parable about a very rich man

who had tons of sheep, whole flock, and a poor man who had

one little you lamb who he loved, cherished and adored.

A traveller came to the rich man and said, hey, I, I need one of

your when you're lambs. And so instead of taking one of

his own, he takes the poor man's only lamb and gives it to the

traveller. And Nathan, the prophet of God,

gives this parable to David. And David is incensed.

He's angry. In fact, he says his anger

burned greatly. Verse #5 of chapter 12, instead

of Nathan as the Lord live, surely the man who has done this

deserves to die. He must make restitution for the

Lamb fourfold because he did this thing and had no

compassion. And Nathan said to David, David,

you're the man. You're that man.

David, you're the man who had everything, all you could ever

dream of. You had it all, and you took one

man's prized possession. So Nathan said, Thus says the

Lord God of Israel, listen carefully.

It is I who anointed you king over Israel.

David, you're king because I anointed you.

God says you're only the king because of me, David, not

because you, you killed Goliath, not because people saying your

praise. You're king over Israel because

of me, and this I who delivered you from the hand of Saul as

many times as Saul tried to kill you, you thought you escaped by

your own creativity and your own warrior like skills.

But you know what? You didn't escape because of

that. You escaped because of me.

I allowed you to escape David. It was me who protected you.

I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives

into your care. I gave you everything.

I gave you the House of Israel and Judah.

And if that had been too little, I would have added to you many

more things like these. And as if this wasn't enough, I

gave you power over Judah, power over Israel.

I gave you all the possessions you could ever imagine.

I gave you prestige. I gave you the Kingdom.

I protected you. I gave you everything.

And you know what? I would have given you more,

more. Now listen carefully, verse 9.

So why have you, David king of Israel, despised the word of the

Lord? It's no wonder Paul says do not

despise the revelation of God. Don't do that.

Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His

sight? You have struck down your riot.

The Hittite with the sword have taken his wife to be your wife,

and have killed him and the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Now, therefore the sword shall never depart from your house,

because you have despised me. You cannot despise prophetic

utterances without despising the God who gave the revelation.

When you despise His Word, you despise the God of the Word.

When you despise the inspired Word, you despised the Incarnate

Word. You cannot separate the 2.

You've despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the

Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I

will raise up evil against you from your own household.

I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them

to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad

daylight. Indeed, you did it secretly, but

I will do this thing before all Israel and under the sun, that

little phrase. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I

will raise up evil against you from your own household.

Do you know that so many times as husbands, as fathers, because

we have despised and rejected and disregarded the word of the

Lord, there is an evil that rises up in our own homes that's

a consequence of rejecting the word of God.

And it did for David. David experienced death,

defiance, defilement. He experienced complete and

utter disclosure of all of his sins and dishonor.

He says to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.

And Nathan said to David, the Lord has taken away your sin,

you shall not die. The consequences of adultery's

death Consequences of sin The way to sin is death.

But the Lord has taken away your sin.

You will not die. However, there's always the

However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the

enemies of the Lord, to blasphemy, the child also that

is born to you shall surely die. You've given the enemies of the

Lord occasion to blasphemy the name of God, because you

disregarded, you despised the word of the Lord, which says you

shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not

lie, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, you shall have

no other gods before me. You should worship me and me

only. David broke 9 out of 10

commandments in one act with Bathsheba.

God says you despise my word, you rejected my word.

So when Paul says this, the First Thessalonians chapter 5,

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

and we think that we're the we're the ones who do not

disregard or look down upon or treat lightly the revelation of

God. We need to think again and ask

ourselves where have I, where have I took the word of the Lord

lightly and not treated it with value and respect and dignity

and honor. I could in there, but I'm not

listen to Isaiah chapter 5 which says Therefore, as a tongue of

Isaiah 5 · chapter mention

fire consumes stubble, and dry grass collapses into the flame,

so their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away

as dust. For they have rejected the law

of the Lord of hosts and despise the word of the Holy One of

Israel. Isaiah's prophesying 100 years

before captivity and tells them from the outset you have

despised the Holy One of Israel because you have rejected his

word. And when you turn over to the

30th chapter of Isaiah, listen to what God says.

Woe to the rebellious children, declares the Lord, who execute a

plan but not mine, and make an alliance but not of my spirit,

in order to add sin to sin. Have you ever executed a plan

that wasn't God's plan? Have you ever made-up your mind

to do something no matter what God says?

This is Israel. You made a plan.

And what was your plan? Their plan was to go down to

Egypt. Assyria was coming, the great

army, the greatest Syrian Army. And so they would flee to Egypt

to gain wisdom and understanding and to gain an alliance.

And Egypt in the Bible always represents the world.

And God is condemning Israel, His people, because they decided

to trust an alliance with the world instead of the authority

of His Word. That's what Israel did over in

chapter 31 verse #1 it says woe to those who go down to Egypt

for help, cursed to be anybody who goes to the world for help

and rely on horses and trust in Chariots because they are many

and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not

look to the Holy One of Israel nor seek the Lord.

So often we we depend upon human resources for our strength, but

don't trust in the Lord. And God says curse it.

Are those who do that. Shame on those who do that.

Verse 2, it says of chapter 30, you proceed down to Egypt

without consulting me. You ever done something without

consulting the Lord? Maybe the second service people

do, but not first service people, right to take refuge in

the safety of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of

Egypt. You're seeking shelter in a

shadow. Shadow has no substance.

You're trying to seek shelter from that which has absolutely

no quality of substance whatsoever to shadow, can't

protect you, can't watch over you.

The problem is you think it can. Therefore, the safety of Pharaoh

will be your shame in the shelter, in the shadow of Egypt,

your humiliation. You will be absolutely

humiliated because Egypt and Pharaoh cannot do anything.

The world cannot save you. The world cannot protect you.

It cannot. For six, the Oracle concerning

the beasts of the Negev through a land of distress and anguish,

from where come lioness and lion and Viper and flying serpent.

They carry their riches on their backs of their donkeys and their

treasures on camels humps to a people who cannot profit them.

Even Egypt, whose help is vain and empty, there's just nothing

there. You're you're about to embark on

the dangerous desert, you're filled with lions and fiery

serpents. You're going to be filled with

anguish and distress. Because when you decide to make

a plan without consulting God, there is nothing but anxiety,

There's nothing but worry, there's nothing but problems,

there's nothing but distress, there's nothing but turmoil.

God tells them in advance, so he says in verse #8 now go write it

on a tablet before them, and describe it on a scroll, that it

may serve in the time to come as a witness forever.

Isaiah, write it down, put it in stone.

Everybody needs to read this and understand this.

It's a witness forever. Please write it down because

everybody needs to know verse 9, that this is a rebellious

people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the

instruction of the Lord, who say to the seers you must not see

visions and to the prophets you must not prophesied.

To us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophecy,

illusions. Get out of the way.

Turn aside from the path. Let us hear no more about the

Holy One of Israel. We don't want to hear about

holiness. We don't want to hear about

justice and righteousness. Just tell us things that aren't

true. Tell us things that aren't

right. Just tickle our ears, tell us

things that won't bring conviction to our lives.

We don't need to hear all that people who say that are in their

rebellious state. That's why they don't want to be

convicted by the word of the Lord.

Here's the clincher verse. Well therefore, thus says the

Holy One of Israel, since you have despised the Word and have

put your trust in oppression and guile, and if you lied upon

them, therefore the iniquity, this iniquity will be to you

like a breech about to fall, a bulge and a high wall whose

collapse comes suddenly in an instant.

You will be broken in a moment of time.

Because you despised the revelation of God, the Word of

the Lord, you've disregarded it, you've devalued it, you've dis

esteemed it. You, you have looked at the word

of the Lord as as nothing. It means nothing.

You think you won't experience the consequences of rebellion.

You think you won't experience the consequences of sin.

But you have turned against Me, and you have not regarded my

word as holy. And you don't want to hear from

me, the Holy One of Israel, any longer.

You have despised my word. You have despised me.

Verse 14, whose collapse is like the smashing of a Potter's jar,

so ruthlessly shattered that assured will not be found among

its pieces to take fire from a hearth or to scoop water from a

system. In other words, there will be no

redeeming value in what is left of you because you despise my

word. Verse 15 here's hope for thus

the Lord God the Holy One of Israel said in repentance and

then rest. You will be saved in quietness,

and trust is your strength. But you were unwilling.

The hope is given. Repentance, rest, reliance,

returning to me. Come back to me.

Trust me, believe in me, hope in me.

But you would not. You weren't willing and you said

no, no, for we will flee on horses.

It's no problem. We can run away from the

Assyrians. We'll flee on horses.

The Lord says therefore you shall flee, and we will ride on

swift horses. And the Lord says, therefore

those who pursue you shall be swifter.

You think you can run from your enemy?

You think that you can take care of yourself without me.

You think that you can flee from your enemy without them catching

you? No way.

Think again. You got it wrong.

As fast as your horses are, theirs are faster.

As smart as you are, they are smarter.

You need me, but you are unwilling. 1000 will flee at the

threat of one man. You will flee at the threat of

five until you are left as a flag on a mountaintop and as a

signal on a hill. In ancient times, they they

would communicate by putting flags on hills so people would

know the condition and situations that people are

facing. And so he's saying you will be

like a flag on a hill. Everybody will know of your

condition, that you were defeated, that you could not

stand, that you are unable to conquer the enemy.

It will be known by everybody who sees the flag on the hill.

There's hope though. Verse 18.

Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore

He waits on high to have compassion on you.

For the Lord is a God of justice, and how blessed are all

those who long for him. There's always hope.

God is such a a graceful, merciful God.

He there's always hope. Just just return to me.

Oh, I long to be gracious to you.

I long to have compassion on this is what the Lord wants to

do. You see, it's, it's not him.

It's us and our sinfulness, our rebellion and our turning away

from the law of the Lord and see, it doesn't mean that much.

No big deal. God's not that serious about it

anyway. He'll let it slide.

He's a loving, graceful God. He is.

But he's also God of wrath and God of justice and the God of

holiness who wants his people to be holy.

So Paul comes along in this long list of adoration and says those

who adore their God will not disregard, disrespect, despise

disesteem, treat lightly as if it doesn't matter.

The revelation of God, it won't do that.

And yet so many times we find ourselves in that situation.

And when you do, guess what the God says in quietness and rest

will be your strength. I long to have compassion upon

you. Just return to me.

Just come back to me. It's all He says.

You come back to me and you long for me.

Everything will be forgiven and we can move on.

I don't know where you're at today.

I don't know if you have disregarded and despised the

word of the Lord. I have no idea, only the Lord

knows. But there was always hope for

those who do. Because you see, those who love

the Lord, they, they don't despise His Word, they, they

desire His word and they delight in His word.

And that's where God wants you to be.

And my prayer for us as a church is that that would be

characterized by each and every one of us who are here, that we

would not leave today without a supreme desire to delight in the

truth of God's Word and make a commitment.

Lord, I do not want to despise the revelation that you've given

to me because it reveals everything I need to know about

who you are and what you did. And because of all that, Lord, I

want to adore you as my God. Let's pray.

Lord, God, we thank you for today.

We are so grateful for the word of the Lord.

Forgive us, Lord, for not treating it as we should,

because in despising the Word we despise the Holy One of Israel.

So our prayer, Father, is that we would be the kind of people

that truly long to live for the glory of their king.

Lord, help no one to leave today without understanding that You

long to be gracious to them. You long to show compassion upon

them if they would be willing to come to you and to repent and to

rest and to rely on you alone for everything.

That's the way you work, Lord, and you are a great God and we

thank you for that. So move us in that direction,

Lord, that we might honor you and never dishonor the name of

our God. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.