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SM1161: On-Line

Teaching Notes

GOD CARRIES US

ISAIAH 46:1-4

One day a pastor was busy in his study, preparing his message for that week, while his little boy was looking at a picture book by the fire place. The pastor, as he was studying, realized he needed one of his larger books that he left upstairs. So he asked his son to go and get this book for him, which he did with great joy.

As time passed by, and the boy still had not returned with the book, the father began to go looking for his son, and as he did he began to hear sounds of sobbing coming from the top of the stairs. As he went to see what had happened, reaching the top of the stairs, there sat his son crying bitterly, while the large book sat at his side.

As the father tried to calm the boy down and find out what had happened, what the problem was that made him cry, the young boy said: "Oh, daddy, I can't carry it. It's too heavy for me!" In a moment, without hesitation, without wasting any time, the father picked up both the book and his dear little son with his strong arms and carried them both down the stairs to his study.

Have you ever felt like that little boy, overwhelmed with life and the tasks that are before you? It seems so hopeless, so frustrating, so disheartening, that at times you may want to just sit down on the stairs and cry. The work is just too hard, to heavy for you to do.

I think most, if not all of us have experienced times like that in our lives, or we may even be experiencing them right now. And as we go through these times we look for someone or something to lift us up and carry us through our problem, through life. The problem, many times, is we are looking in all the wrong places for the help we need, and because the help we found is only temporary, so too is our joyful countenance. And thus, it is not long before we are on the stairs crying out for help again. Looking for help, but not in the place that is truly going to help us.

In our study this morning we are going to see where false or empty help comes from, and where true help, lasting help comes from. So if you would, please turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 46, and lets begin reading in verse 1.

ISAIAH 46:1-4

The background here is God predicting the destruction of Babylon over 100 years before they would even become a world power. At the time Isaiah wrote this, around 712 BC, the Assyrians were still the world power.

And here we see God contrast the god's the Babylonians worshipped with the true and living God. Both Bel and Nebo were the chief god's of the Babylonians, even though they worshipped many god's. Bel means "lord" or "master"; and Nebo means "the lofty one".

Because these god's were so important to them, they would incorporate the names of these god's into their own names. For instance, Nebuchadnezzar, which means "may the lofty one protect our boarders"; and Belshazzar, which means "master protect the king".

With that in mind, God wants His people to think about the foolishness of their actions. The Babylonians loved to make their god's into large images, and during their feasts and victory celebrations they would place these idols on carts and have the beasts of burden pull them around town. And as these god's were passing through the streets the people would bow down and worship them, without even thinking or seeing the foolishness of their actions. In fact, these idols were so heavy it was difficult for these animals to pull them around, it was a burden to them.

And the point here is that these god's would not be able to deliver the people of Babylon from their coming captivity by the hands of Cyrus and the Persian army. In fact, these god's couldn't even carry themselves, but needed to be carried around, so how in the world could they carry or deliver anyone else? They couldn't!

Now in contrast to that, God says to His people that He has birthed them, He will carry them and be with them. God is telling His people that He will be the one who carries them, lifts them up, strengthens them from birth until death. And there is no burden in that, only rejoicing that God is with us and carrying us. I like the way that James Stewart sums this up. He says: "Ever since Isaiah, men have been aware that one of the vital distinctions between true religion and false is that whereas the later is a dead burden for the soul to carry, the former is a living power to carry the soul." It's hard to add anything to that!

And so, with the remainder of our time this morning, we are going to look at where our help does and doesn't come from. And you are going to see that if your faith is placed anywhere else other than the Lord, you will be the one carrying that idol, that god in your life, that passion in your life, and it will be a burden to you.

1. THE GOD'S THAT CAN'T HELP

Three are many things that are competing for our attention, that we can easily turn into idols of worship, and like the people of Babylon, they won't set you free, only place you into bondage. And we are going to look at just a few of these to show you what I mean.

A. DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

For some, drugs and alcohol are an escape from a life they are not satisfied with. And by drinking or taking drugs they feel it will numb their pain, take away their problems for a time, help them escape from life. The reality is drugs and alcohol don't free a person but place them even more into bondage. The god's of drugs and alcohol can't help you, in fact you have to carry them around, sometimes in secret because you don't want anyone to see these god's in your life, for some are illegal!

For others, drugs and alcohol are the ultimate trip to experience at the end of a long work week, and sometimes during the work week. The mentality goes "It doesn't get any better than this!" Now if that were true, then life stinks! Think about it, if life was just getting drunk or high, what a waste of time. But of course that is not true, it is only what the alcohol industry wants us to think and those who are trying to promote the legalization of drugs.

I have never seen someone set free by drugs and alcohol, but I have seen the damage it has caused in their lives, the bondage it has placed them in. The only freedom comes when you come out of that lifestyle, not in it. And for those that think it is fine to get plastered, to get high and lose control, listen to the picture God gives us of those who do these kinds of things. In Isaiah 28:7-8 we read "But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; No place is clean."

You see, a persons judgment is messed up, they make poor decisions, it consumes their life, they stumble, they can't see clearly, and their lives are a mess! And drugs do the same, altering our mind, messing up our judgment, and-so-on. It places us in bondage, the thing we are trying to free ourselves from.

B. POSSESSIONS

Now this may seem like a strange idea, but our possessions can become our god's. We like to get bigger and better stuff, our god's in a sense. And when we do we also have to get all kinds of security systems, dogs, all kinds of fancy locks, security lights, security gates, there are even communities surrounded by gates and have security guards to check who is going in and out so no one will steal our possessions, our god's.

To me that is not freedom, but it too is bondage. And it is amazing how many people bow down and worship their possessions. In the summer and even in the winter, I see people bowing before their fancy cars, as they wash them and wax them every week, and sometimes more often. It is an ongoing ritual for them, a kind of religious experience you might say.

We see this also with clothes, music, movies, homes, and-so-on. These things can become the passion of our life, and when or if they do, they move from an object to a thing to worship, a god! But again, these things can't set you free, they can't deliver you, but only place you in bondage to them. We may think we have freedom in obtaining all these things, but look close and see the bondage that they put people in. And the key is passion, are these things the passion of your life. There is nothing wrong with having nice clothes, a nice car and-so-on, unless they cause you to worship them, and then, to you they are wrong.

John hits the nail on the head when he says in I John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

The Greek word that John uses for "love" is AGAPAO, which speaks of "a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something". It speaks of befriending, and John is warning us not to make friends with the world, for you will not transform it, but be conformed to it. And if you truly put your trust in this world and its possessions, which feed the flesh, understand that this world is passing away, with all its lusts, and you will pass away with it outside of Christ. But forthose who forsake this world, they will not be in bondage to it and they will abide with the Lord forever, they will not pass away.

It is as Paul warned young Timothy of the bondage these things, these possessions can place you in. In I Timothy 6:6-10 we read, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Don't be consumed and conformed by the things of this world that place you in bondage, but let God transform your life into His image, make Him the passion of your life.

C. SPORTS

Now before you get too upset about this one, let me tell you that I have been there and I was consumed at one time to this idol, it was truly the passion of my life. And if you are really honest with yourself, look at the people that will take the time, no matter how busy they are, to watch football games or other sporting events that have become the passion of their life. Some even participate in these sports to the point where it is a god to them.

Now don't misunderstand me. By watching a football game or whatever sporting event it might be, it doesn't make you an idol worshiper. But if these kinds of activities have consumed your life, then you do have a problem. These things have become a god to you. One way to find out how you are doing, what the passion of your life is, is do a little test, and you can place any sporting event in the blank, but I will use football, because that is the season we are in. The question is this, "If the Greenbay Packers were playing the Denver Broncos in the Superbowl, and the church service began at the same time, lasting the entire game, what would you do?" You will do whatever is the passion of your heart without giving it a second thought! I am not trying to make you feel guilty about what you are doing, but to think about what is the passion of your life, the priority of you life. And understand this, sports can't deliver you, but they can place you in bondage.

D. IMAGES

People today who have lost the consciousness of God rely on statues, pictures, chains, and-so-on to remind them of God and who He is. But that can't help you for it only places you in bondage to these objects you think represent God. Others are not seeking the true God but are worshipping the god's of wood, stone, and metal. And God warns both groups of people to not go down this path of destruction, to stay away from these things that won't set you free, but only place you in bondage.

In Isaiah 46, beginning in verse 5, the Lord says "To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble." Isaiah 46:5-7.

By showing how foolish it is to place ones trust, ones faith in something that is not real, God is saying, He is trying to awaken them from their spiritual sleep so that they would turn to Him. With these idols it doesn't matter how hard you cry out to them, how loud you shout to them, they can't hear you, they can't answer you, they can't save you from the bondage that you are in!

And the list can go on, and you can place your god, the thing you worship, the passion of your life before you, and you will see that what we do today, is no different than what they did thousands of years ago when God was speaking through the prophet Isaiah about these things. We still bow down before these things that can't help us, can't save us, can't deliver us from the bondage we are in. In fact it seems to only place us further in bondage, making us feel empty, and in despair. These things we worship will become a burden to us as we try to carry them around in our lives. That is not what God desires for us at all, as we are going to see.

2. THE GOD THAT CAN HELP

As God calls out to His people in Isaiah chapter 46, He is also calling out to each of us. He wants us to see, to understand the love He has for us, calling us to be His children, birthing us in a sense. And God is the one who wants to carry us, from the time of our conception until the time of our physical death, as we then go to be with Him.

Have you noticed that when children are carried by their parents there is a peace that they have. Put them on the ground and many times they get anxious, begin to cry, are fearful, clinging to their parents leg. Why? Because there is safety being in the arms of someone who loves you and will protect you. We are no different. God is telling us that He desires to carry us, for as He does, He delivers us from the bondage of sin that has ensnared us. No other god's, no other idols can save us, only God can!

And understand this, it is not just believing, but believing the truth of God. You see, in regards to our salvation, truth is a matter of life and death. In John 8:31-32 we read "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'" You see, the truth of God, found in the Word of God, sets us free. No longer are we in bondage. We see how God's yoke is easy and His burden light. But if you don't come to the truth, if you don't receive the truths of God in regards to your salvation, you will be in bondage, taken captive by sin.

Paul, in Colossians chapter 2, beginning in verse 13 said "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him,having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Notice our predicament. We were dead in our trespasses, our hearts were hard towards God. And you can see we can't do anything to add or take away from our redemption, God alone does the work, we only receive it, appropriate it into our lives. Paul tells us that God has taken all our sins with Him to the cross of Calvary, completely forgiving all our trespasses.

In saying that, there is no room for us to glory in what we have done in regards to our salvation, for we didn't do anything but receive the free gift of God that has been given to us. He did all the work, and thus, He gets all the glory, not man! You see, God will not share His glory with no one, not even man. He said in Isaiah 42:8 "I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images." And the reality is, God doesn't have to share His glory with anyone!

Now as we are born again in Christ, our new birth, God is going to carry us until we go to be with Him. In the book of Deuteronomy, as Moses gives his farewell speech to the nation, reminding them of their history and the commands of God for them, in chapter 1 he reminds them of what God had for them at Kadesh Barnea, as they prepared to enter the promised land, but wandered for forty years in unbelief instead. He said beginning in verse 30 "The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place." Deuteronomy 1:30-31.

Notice the picture here. God is our Father, carrying us all the way in His loving arms. He goes before us to fight off the enemy, protecting us. It s a beautiful picture of a Fathers love for his son, for us. It is as Deuteronomy 33:26-27 says, "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun [righteous ones], Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, 'Destroy!'"

The question you must ask yourself is this. "Do you want to carry your god's, your idols around with you, which will be a burden to you and leave you in captivity? Or do you want the true and living God, the only one who can save, to carry you around, watch over you, protect you?" The answer seems easy, but many times it is difficult because of pride. We don't want to surrender our life to anyone, not even God. The problem is, if you don't, you will not be free, you will be in bondage. Surrender to Him so that He may carry you, for in that relationship, there is true rest, true peace, true joy and-so-on.

As I close this morning, I want to leave you with these words from a song by Benny Hester. It is called, WHEN GOD RAN. It goes like this:

WHEN GOD RAN

BY: BENNY HESTER

BENNY FROM HERE

1985

ALMIGHTY GOD, THE GREAT I AM, IMMOVABLE ROCK, OMNIPOTENT, POWERFUL, AWESOME LORD, VICTORIOUS WARRIOR, COMMANDING KING OF KINGS, MIGHTY CONQUEROR AND THE ONLY TIME, THE ONLY TIME I EVER SAW HIM RUN.

WAS WHEN HE RAN TO ME, TOOK ME IN HIS ARMS HELD MY HEAD TO HIS CHEST SAID "MY SON'S COME HOME AGAIN" LIFTED BY FACE, WIPED THE TEARS FROM MY EYES, WITH FORGIVENESS IN HIS VOICE, HE SAID "SON DO YOU KNOW THAT I STILL LOVE YOU?" IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE, WHEN GOD RAN.

THE DAY I LEFT HOME, I KNEW I'D BROKEN HIS HEART, I WONDERED THEN, IF THINGS COULD EVER BE THE SAME. BUT ONE NIGHT, I REMEMBERED HIS LOVE FOR ME, AND DOWN THAT DUSTY ROAD AHEAD I COULD SEE, IT'S THE ONLY TIME I EVER SAW HIM RUN.

I SAW HIM RUN TO ME, AND THEN I RAN TO HIM. HOLY ONE, RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, HE TURNED MY WAY. NOW I KNOW, HE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY.

AND THEN HE RAN TO ME, TOOK ME IN HIS ARMS, HELD MY HEAD TO HIS CHEST, SAID "MY SON'S COME BACK AGAIN" LIFTED MY FACE, WIPED THE TEARS FROM MY EYES, WITH FORGIVENESS IN HIS VOICE I FELT HIS LOVE FOR ME.

AND THEN HE RAN TO ME, TOOK ME IN HIS ARMS, HELD MY HEAD TO HIS CHEST, SAID "MY SON'S COME HOME AGAIN" LIFTED MY FACE, WIPED THETEARS FROM MY EYES, WITH FORGIVENESS IN HIS VOICE HE SAID "SON" HE SAID "SON" "MY SON, DO YOU KNOW I STILL LOVE YOU" OH, HE RAN TO ME, WHEN GOD RAN.