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SM1163: On-Line
Teaching Notes
AWAKE, AWAKE!
ISAIAH 52:1-6
There is an interesting story of Princess Elisa Carolina Casaretto Borghese, who was a virtual prisoner for some ten years in her own palatial residence in Genoa, Italy. She was heiress to a million dollars, and this 77-year-old Princess was mesmerized by a certain baron Wlademar Von Hoyningenp-Huene, who along with an Italian woman, moved into the Princess apartment.
The Princess, rich beyond measure, was then forced to live miserably in a servant room that was adjoining the apartment. It was small, it was dirty, and it didn’t even have an electric light!
Over time the neighbors began to notice the Princess’s threadbare clothes and torn stockings and to hear her beg for a little money. And so they reported the matter to the police, who then uncovered the whole strange and very sad story.
Regarding all that took place, the Princes said: "At first they moved into my home as friends, and then became strangers, and I didn’t know how to get free." Over time, as this abuse continued, she came to believe that she was poor and that she had to do whatever the baron said, but she couldn’t explain why she felt so intimidated. "They gave me a drip-drip-drip feeling that nothing would endure," the woman sighed.
She is now back in her apartment and the Princess is trying to begin life anew. "Now that I know they were evil, I can’t stop wondering how they got control of me. It’s been a nightmare, and now I am free."
It truly is a very sad story that has a very happy ending. And the reality of this story is sin does the same thing in our lives. It comes in as a friend, entices us, allures us, and before long we have been taken captive by it, and wondering how it got control of our lives.
In Isaiah chapter 52 God is calling for His people to awaken out of their spiritual sleep that has caused them to go into bondage, into captivity by the hands of the Babylonians. And in our study this morning we are going to see how we have sold ourselves into the slavery of sin and then the only solution to that captivity, we can be freed in Christ. So if you would, please turn to Isaiah chapter 52, and lets begin reading in verse 1.
ISAIAH 52:1-6
Just prior to their captivity in Babylon, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was spinning out of control, away from God and into idolatry. Even the leadership of the nation was evil, and they were leading the people in the same direction. In Isaiah 51:18 we are told of Judah that "There is no one to guide her among all the sons she has brought forth; nor is there any who takes her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up." And thus, God was going to use the Babylonians as instruments of judgment upon them for their idolatry, they were going into captivity!
And yet, with all their rebellion, God is still calling to them, telling them to awaken out of their spiritual sleep, to remove those shackles that they wore as they were carried away into captivity and to be free again! With the remainder of our time this morning, I would like to focus on how this relates to us today so that we may glean some lessons to help awaken us up and draw us closer to the one who loves us!
1. SOLD INTO SLAVERY ISAIAH 52:3-5
It is always interesting to see God’s perspective of a situation and compare that to the way man sees it. Here God is saying that they have sold themselves into slavery and the foolishness of their actions. You see, they thought these idols would help them to prosper, maybe they enjoyed the seductive styles of worship that took place in the groves, or maybe they thought these idols or gods could deliver them. Whatever the case, whatever the reason, the reality of what they got in the worship of these idols was nothing, a big fat zero! It didn’t help them at all, in fact it hurt them instead!
In the New Testament Jesus put it this way when He said in Matthew 16:26, "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul" That truly is a question that each of us have to answer in our life. What is the desire of our hearts? If the Devil was going to confront you after church this morning, and he would offer you a million dollars, a billion dollars, or maybe even a trillion dollars, would you be tempted to take it from him? The catch is, in return you sell your soul to him! Imagine you can have it all, but in return you will spend eternity in Hell! Many would do it, not in this church, but many in the world would and many have already sold their soul to the Devil to enjoy the passing pleasures of this world.
But this world is passing away, with all of its lusts. It is only a short term earthly gratification, that obviously we enjoy, or else no one would be tempted by the offer. But in doing that, they have not dealt with the bigger picture, their eternal state, for their actions of rejecting God will have eternal consequences!
Look at the life of Moses, the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and thus, assured of all the riches a king could have, even with the possibility of being the successor to Pharaoh. And many would rejoice at having that kind of heritage, but not Moses. You see, he did not look at that which was temporary, but to that which was eternal. And instead of looking to his Nobel linage, he forsook that and associated himself with his family, the family of God.
In Hebrews chapter 11, beginning in verse 24, we read that "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing [temporary] pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward." Hebrews 11:24-26.
What a man of faith, for he saw the eternal instead of the temporary and that caused him to respond accordingly. Today we say that we must "Grab for all the gusto we can in life!" or as Moses put it, we are grabbing for "the passing [temporary] pleasures of sin". People are more interested in satisfying the flesh than they are in pleasing God. They look to things that are going to fall apart, rust, be stolen, wear down, get old, and in the end they are broken and naked by their actions. On the other hand, Moses looked to that which would last, the eternal rewards that are found in Christ, the Messiah!
Now God will not force us to worship Him and obey Him, but we must also understand that there are consequences to our actions. And thus, when the situation gets tough, we tend to blame God for forsaking us, turning His back on us, selling us into slavery. But the reality is, God did not move away from us, we moved away from Him and now we are suffering the
consequences of that broken fellowship.
God’s laws are not to hurt us or deprive us of pleasure or blessings. In fact, they are just the opposite. God’s laws, His Word, leads us down a path that will bless us, even though it might not be easy. But again, many feel they know better than God, and doing this little thing really won’t hurt them. And what we all have found out, I’m sure, is that when you open the door to sin, it is like opening the door to a salesperson, it is very difficult to shut. And as you travel down that road you find yourself not free, but in bondage to it. Now to blame God for what you did, would be foolish, but that is what we tend to do.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. We all don’t fully understand the law of gravity but we all know the effects of gravity and we do have a respect to obey that law. Now what if I thought that the law of gravity was too restrictive and I felt that I wanted to have some fun and fly like the birds do. So I go up to the top of this building, look out and just imagine how much fun this is going to be. And as I start flapping my arms like a bird I jump off the building, but I don’t fly, I come crashing to the ground just as the law of gravity says would happen. And as I lay there on the ground, battered, beaten, bloodied, someone comes by to see if I’m okay. And my response to him would be "This is all God’s fault. If He really loved me this would have never happened. If He really is a God of love I would not be broken like I am!"
Do you see the foolishness of that response? The law of gravity told me this would happen but I thought I knew better and broke the law, and then tried to blame God for the mess I was in.
Yes the law of God can’t save us, but in following what God has said, not just in His law but throughout His Word, there is great blessings to be found, and safety! In Psalm 94:12-14 we read "Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law, That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance."
Not only is their blessings in following God’s Word, but it makes us wise, as II Timothy 3:15-17 says. We read "...that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
Not only is there blessings in following the Word of God, but it makes us wise, and Jesus says in John 8:31-32, "...’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, as we read God’s Word and are obedient to what He is showing us, it sets us free from the bondage that the world is trying to place us in.
Like the Southern Kingdom of Judah, many have rejected God’s Word, violated His warnings, and have found themselves in bondage, not even realizing it is their own actions that have placed them in this condition. But don’t lose hope, for there is a solution to our problem, and that is what we are going to look at next.
2. FREED IN CHRIST ISAIAH 52:1-2, 3B, 6
For those that are in bondage to sin, God is calling for them to awaken out of their spiritual sleep and be freed from the bondage they are in. God wants to redeem them out of the slavery, the bondage they have placed themselves in, but the payment for our freedom is not going to be found in money or any material possessions, it is only found in Christ!
Listen to what Peter says regarding our redemption in I Peter 1:18-21. We read "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
It would have been just the snap of God’s fingers to come up with a million, a billion or even a trillion dollars to redeem each one of us. That would be nothing for Him to do. But that is not what He redeemed us with. God rolled up His sleeves and went to work, and not by just the snap of His fingers. God became flesh and dwelt among us, a perfect sacrifice, to redeem us from the condition we were in, to free us from the bondage of sin in our lives. Thus, all we have to do is appropriate that into our lives, asking Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, and just receive it by faith, and we are redeemed!
The problem comes when we think that salvation is it, that we then can do whatever we want and it doesn’t matter, were saved. That is foolish. And truly if that is the attitude of your heart, you need to examine your profession of faith that you made to the Lord, and see if it is real. You see, in our relationship with the Lord our desire should be to do His will, even though we fail many times, and fall far short of that goal. It is a constant battle, but even though our spirit is willing, many times our flesh is weak. But the desire is there. If your desire is to do your own thing, do you really love the Lord? You need to examine that for yourself, no one can do that for you.
Again, in I Peter chapter 1, Peter is speaking of the prophets and how they wrote of this great salvation that was to come, how they searched diligently for the Messiah and His day. And now that we have seen that day come, our lives are a living testimony of God’s great love, His great desire to restore that broken fellowship with Him, and of this great salvation, Peter tells us that they are the "Things which angels desire to look into".
It is out of that thought that Peter says beginning in verse 13 of I Peter chapter 1, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear." I Peter 1:13-17.
Because of all that God has given to us, things the prophets were looking for, were searching for, were waiting for to come forth, and now the angels are looking into, Peter is telling us to conduct ourselves in a manner that would be pleasing to God.
He tells us to set our mind in order, be fully alert, and don’t allow the things of this world to conform you into its image, going after those former lusts that placed you in bondage, those things you were once ignorant to, but now are wise in Christ. The call is to be holy, set apart for God’s use. The call is not to be pretty good, or to obey when you feel like it, but to be holy, move in that direction instead of being swept downstream into the pit the world has for us.
It seems that many in the church today have lost that desire for holiness. They don’t fear God in a reverential way and they surely don’t fear Him knowing of His judgment against unrighteousness, He will deal with our sin. It cost God His life to redeem us and then we tend to trample under foot His love by conforming to the world.
It is truly sad when adulatory, fornication, out of wedlock pregnancy’s, lying, pornography, cheating, and-so-on go on in the church as much as it goes on in the world. Peter is telling us to wise up, to get right with God, to do those things that would please the Father. If you refuse, you will only find yourself in bondage to that sin in your life, shackled and taken into captivity, and the only freedom you will find is in Christ, the one you are turning your back to.
Now as God brings us out of bondage, as we turn to Him, He frees us from captivity. It is something He desires to do in our life and all He asks is that we would turn to Him. When He does free us, that should not bring glory upon ourselves, but upon Him and what He has done in our lives. It should cause us to rejoice in what God has done. If you are not saved, God’s desire is for you to turn to Him and receive His gift of life that is in Christ Jesus. That is the only way you will be set free.
If you are saved and are struggling with sin, in bondage to sin, you need to come before Him, repent and ask Him to remove that shackle from your life. God wants to set you free, but He will not force you.
I love the way that the writer of Hebrews puts it in chapter 12 as he shows us where we need to place our faith and not to be entangled by the snare of sin that wants to hinder us and put us into bondage. We read beginning in verse 1 of chapter 12, "Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin." Hebrews 12:1-4.
You see, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, and thus, we must look to Him. He got it started, and He will help us to complete it. We are not in this struggle alone. Look to His life, His example, what He endured so that we won’t get frustrated, discouraged in the battle. And verse 4 is an interesting one to contemplate and meditate upon. It says "You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin."
It is a war, a battle against the flesh that we must take seriously. "Billy Sunday, the baseball evangelist and reformer, never spared himself nor those he wanted to help in the vigor of his attacks on sin. He thundered against evil from the Gay Nineties through the Great Depression. He preached Christ as the only answer to man’s needs until his death in 1935."
"I’m against sin," he said. "I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist. I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. When I’m old and fistless and footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!"
Maybe that is what the writer of Hebrews was taking about, giving all we have to resist the temptation of sin in our life. You see, don’t give up or let sin overtake your life, look to Jesus for He will help you through these times and help purge you from that filth that is raging war against your soul.
I want to close this morning with this true story, and may it cause you to awaken and hear God’s call for you to leave the captivity of sin, remove those shackles and draw close to God, the one who truly loves you!
Several years ago, a group of people in Missouri founded a town and named it Liberal. They were so extremely ‘liberal’ that churches were not to be allowed. In their boom literature they boasted that it was ‘the only town of its size in the United States without a priest, a preacher, church, God, Jesus, hell or devil.’
But Elder Clark Braden wrote up an account for the Post Dispatch showing that there was little else than hell and devil there, that it was a den of iniquity, that its hotels were brothels and virtue almost unknown. The account was so terrible that they had Braden arrested for criminal libel, and sued him and the Post Dispatch for $25,000 damages.
After the prosecution had presented all of its evidence, the case was submitted to the jury without rebutting evidence by the defendant and he was acquitted by the jury. The civil suit for damages was dismissed by demand of the plaintiffs, who paid all the costs.
Liberal was a failure, and even lifelong unbelievers, who had moved there for its advantages, left in disgust. One of them struck the keynote when he said: "An infidel surrounded by Christians may spout his infidelity and the community may be able to stand it but it will never do to establish a society with infidelity as its basis."
Stand strong in the faith, fight the good fight, and turn from sin to a God who wants what is best for your life. Don’t be in bondage to something that will never set you free, come to the Lord and see the salvation He will bring to your life!