Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.
Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. The Lord is a God of judgment. Blessed are all they that wait for Him.
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem. Thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more. But thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way.
Walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left. It was often the fault of the Jews that when they were attacked by maybe an individual or a group of people obviously on one side of them, of course being Jerusalem, being Judah, that oftentimes the Jews would do something very wrong. They would end up trying to create alliance with a person on the other side to try to get help. And oftentimes when the Jews did that, they ended up making alliance with people that they had no business making alliance with.
They had no business being connected with. What should have happened was that any time that the Jews were attacked from one country or one particular group of people or whoever it might be, what should have happened is that they would have immediately looked to God in heaven for help. But what they often did was they began to look to somebody near them or somebody in a city or country next to them and try to make alliance to get help.
It just kind of made them feel better. And can I say this? A lot of times you and I do the same thing. When difficulty comes and when problems come in our life, we often get connected to things or individuals that we should have never gotten connected to. And we end up relying on things and turning to things for comfort and help that really we should have never turned to or tried. Our comfort should have come from God. So that's what's happening in Isaiah chapter 30. The Jews were being attacked and the best way I could put it, they were making alliance. And against oftentimes the Israelites, when they attacked the Jews, they sought to go and connect with the Syrians. And we find that obviously in 2 Chronicles. Against the Syrians then they sought to hook up with the Assyrians, that's in 2 Kings. Against the Assyrians they began to try to hook up with the Egyptians we find in 2 Kings also.
So that's what they always did. And here God is correcting them in Isaiah chapter 30. And if I can just give you the quick history of this chapter, and I've got to do this to share with you what I'm going to share.
You can kind of connect this chapter in three different ways. First, it is a reproof to those who when trouble came, tried to connect with the Egyptians when God had said not to. Second, it's a threatening, it's a threat against those who did not listen to the prophets of God when they began to speak. Here's what happened when the Jews would begin to be attacked, prophets and the men that God had sent to speak to them and to share His word with them.
Those prophets would speak and talk and they wouldn't listen, they would go make alliance with these other countries. And although the man of God was saying, God says don't do this, God says rely upon Him, God says trust Him, they wouldn't listen to Him. So in this chapter God is saying this, it's a reproof that you connected with those you shouldn't have connected with.
It's also a reproof that hey, you have not listened to the man of God in your life. The third thing was this, it was a gracious promise to those who trust in God that He would reward them. Now maybe you can understand, and I want to share with you beginning in verse 18. I preached on this verse a couple of, I guess it was probably last year at some point, just on verse 18. And I find it interesting here, God gives four reasons why He waits.
And you'll remember this message, let me just review with this. First it says in verse 18, if you'll notice this, it says, Therefore the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you. Therefore will He be exalted. So why does God wait?
Number one, so that He can be gracious. Sometimes in your life why does God wait? So that He can be exalted. Third in your life, why does God wait?
Look at this verse, that He may have mercy upon you. And fourth, why does God wait? For the Lord is a God of judgment, blessed are all they that wait for Him. So God gives us four reasons why He waits. So that He can be gracious, that He will be exalted, that He may have mercy, and that He may bless. Now, that means this, that God automatically has given four promises to these people. That's this, number one, He's promised that He will be gracious. Number two, He has promised that He will exalt Himself. Number three, He has promised that He will have mercy. Number four, He has promised that He will bless. Now, amazingly, in verse 19, He gives four more promises.
Now you've got to follow this, okay? Look at verse 19. For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer thee. Four promises. Number one, He says no more weeping. Number two, He says that He will be very gracious. Number three, He says that He will hear. Number four, He promises that He will answer.
Now, you say, why is all this important? Look at verse 20. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Now wait a minute, God just promised He was going to be gracious, that He was going to have mercy, that He was going to be exalted, that He was going to bless. He also promised that there would be no more weeping. Now wait a minute, God makes these promises and then He says He's going to give us adversity and affliction.
That doesn't seem to make sense. In verse 19, He says that He will be very, very gracious. Then in verse 20, He says there's going to be adversity. Verse 19, He says He will hear and He will answer. But then in verse 20, He says that we're going to have the water of affliction. Now I've looked at this passage many a time and I said, Lord, you're just going to have to explain this to me. And I'm going to be honest with you, for this past year, there's been times that I would say, Lord, you're just going to have to explain this to me. By the way, God does not owe us an explanation for anything in your life.
Do you know that? We owe Him. He doesn't owe us anything. But let's look and see what He means here in verse 20. The bread of adversity and the water of affliction. I have three points that I want to share with you this morning about this subject of promises in our problems. When you face difficulty, when you face things in your life, there are some promises that God has given. One, there is the promise of adversity. You say, preacher, that is not a very good promise. What does He mean, bread of adversity and water of affliction?
Well, let me say this. If you have time, it's just one verse, but you've got to see this. I want you to look at 1 Kings chapter 22. I've heard people talk about this bread of affliction and bread of adversity and water of affliction.
I've heard different people say what it means. Look at 1 Kings chapter 22. I know this is probably a little bit more turning and study than I normally do on a Sunday morning, but I want you to see this. 1 Kings 22, look at verse 27. And say, thus saith the king, put this fellow in the prison and feed him with what? Bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace. So that means this, in Isaiah chapter 30, what God said here is coming is nothing but common prison food. You say, preacher, that doesn't seem to be that comforting. May I say this, that a famine of bread, a famine of all you have is bread and water, look at me, is better any day than a famine of God's Word. When God said there would be no more weeping in Isaiah chapter 30, look at me, folks, He was saying this, there would be no more weeping for the same reason.
He was getting ready to make a promise, and we're going to share that in just a minute. That means this, do you know what the word adversity means here in this Hebrew word? This word adversity means narrow, confined, in a straight place. Does that sound like prison?
Narrow, confined. You ever been in your life when you're in a situation and there's just absolutely nowhere you can go, nothing you can turn to, no way out. You've got to be there.
You've got no choice. God said there's going to come times in your life where you are going to be in a situation that you can't get out of, that you can't make it leave, that you can't turn here and go here and make it stop immediately. There's going to be times in your life when you're confined, you're in a situation, and that's where you have to be. You know what the Hebrew word for affliction, it says water of affliction, it means this, distress or oppression. So God says this, that you're going to have confinement in your life, you're going to have restriction in your life, and then you're going to have distress, you're going to have oppression. There's going to be things fighting you, things that put you in stressful situations.
There's going to be adversity. Have you had adversity this year? I know some of you that have lost loved ones. I know some of you that have lost your job. I know some of you that have had things happen in your family with your children or grandchildren or even with your parents that has been tragic this year. Have you had adversity?
Oftentimes when we do, we say, I'm saved and I believe in the Lord and I've put my faith and trust in Him. Why do I have this kind of adversity? Folks, it's promised that it's coming. It wouldn't be life without adversity because God has said this, hey, I will be gracious, I will be exalted, I will have mercy, I will bless you, there will be no more weeping, I will be very gracious, but there is adversity coming in your life. I want you to notice the second promise he makes in verse 20. Look if you would at the second part of verse 20. Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.
What is he saying here? Let me tell you what had happened in the earlier part of the chapter and in the two chapters before. During this adversity that had come on the children of God, the Jewish people.
During this adversity, you know what had happened? The men of God that God had put there, they had moved them aside. They had literally, they had to go into hiding because they wouldn't listen to the man of God because the man of God was giving correction that would not have them do what they were doing and they didn't want to hear it. They didn't pay attention.
They didn't want it. Now that this adversity had come from the Assyrians, look at me. Now God said, hey, this adversity is coming. And let me tell you secondly, there's the promise of adversity. Second, there's the promise of advisors.
He said, I'm going to have teachers there for you and you will see them. They will not be put in the corner anymore. You know what I found in my life that adversity brings? Adversity causes us to listen where we didn't listen before. You know what adversity often does to folks when they really go through hard times?
Look at me. And they haven't been in church. You know what adversity does oftentimes? It brings them back to church. And you know oftentimes when that adversity is finally done, where do they go after that?
They leave. Adversity. He says this, as you're going through this adversity, while you're going through this, I will provide you with advice, with advisors, with teachers that will show you the way to go. Now, I have something very important about this and I want you to hear it. He says this time you will see them, although you didn't see them before. He said this time you will listen to them, although you didn't listen to them before. Here's what's interesting.
This is great. Look at me. Since this day in Isaiah chapter 30, God has kept his promise. Do you know that God always has and always will have a witness representing him? He said you put them in the corner before, you shun them before.
He said let me tell you something. I promise you that you will see your teachers from now on. They will be there.
Look at me. Kings have tried to kill Christians and God never left without a witness. There's always been somebody there to get up and proclaim, thus saith the Lord.
If I can, let me put it this way. You here at Kerwin, you are a people that God has been gracious to. You are a people that God has exalted himself to. You are a people that God has showed mercy to. You are a people that God has blessed. And like it or lump it, whether I expected it, God has called me to represent him here. God has for 50 years given you that representative and thank God he's let us keep him here for a lot longer too. I am here to tell you this, you ought to be thankful as a church, not thankful for maybe the individual, but you ought to be thankful for the fact that God always provides a witness.
He always provides a teacher. He always provides somebody to give advice, to get in God's word, to find what God has to say to his people. I'm saying this, when you go through adversity, listen to the man of God. Don't get away from church when times get tough. Get in church when times get tough. Don't start turning to some other source during adversity.
Turn to God in adversity. Aren't you glad God's always given a witness? Aren't you glad God's always given a man of God somewhere, sometime, I don't care where you are, what you're going through, there will be somebody to teach God's word, because God's not going to leave himself without a witness. And he has kept that promise to this very day, and he always will.
He said this, hey, you're not going to put him in the corner anymore. Hey, do you know what, there has been preachers that have been jailed for preaching God's word. And every time one goes in jail, there's going to be four more, God's going to grow and use in their place. I'm here to tell you folks, listen, you cannot kill God's word.
And you can try your best, in the Old Testament you can stone him, in the Old Testament you can crucify him upside down, in the Old Testament you could kill him, beat him, lash him, whatever you want to do. But God will always provide a witness for his word. That is a promise you have, no matter what adversity may come, there will be somebody there to teach and advise what God has to say. And I'm here to say, let me be that if God's put me here, and if God's put you here, listen to the man of God. Let's at least be open-minded, at least hear what God has to say. I want you to notice thirdly, and this is the best part of the whole thing, God's not only promised adversity, he's not only promised advisors, but he has promised an advocate.
This is a beautiful picture. Look if you would at verse 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Now, let me start right here with this. He says, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee. Now let me tell you a couple things of what that means, and we've got to prove who he's talking about here. He just got done talking about teachers. And some people say, well, that's the voice that you're going to hear behind you.
That's not the way it is. Notice he says, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee. Behind thee means this. It's a person you cannot see, but that person sees you. So when you hear this word behind you, God says, I promise you this, this is going to be there for you.
When you hear this word come behind you, it means there's nobody that you can see, but that person can see you. This is the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, listen to me, manifests itself in your conscience. Now, let me put it this way.
You've got to get this, put your thinking caps on. Advisors is the public ministry. The advocate we've been given, the Holy Spirit, is the private ministry. So, advisors are the public ministry.
Advocate is the private ministry. Adversity creates the desperation so that we'll listen. Now you say, preacher, okay, I don't know if I agree with that, but let me give you some verses. And I'm just going to read these to you, but I want you to hear me out. This is a lot of teaching for Sunday morning, but this is what God's laid on my heart.
Listen to me. 1 John 2, verse 1 says this, My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now, let me tell you what that word advocate in the Greek means in 1 John 2. It's the word parakletos, which means this, comforter, intercessor, consoler.
Does that ring a bell? Comforter. All right, let me read you some more. In John chapter 14, this is what Jesus said, And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Now, wait a minute. Jesus died, purchased our redemption. He did not remain with us forever, he went to heaven. But when he went to heaven, he says, I pray the Father that he's going to send another, the comforter, look at this, and he will remain with you forever. Now, let me keep reading. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you, Jesus said.
I'm still with you, he said. But the comforter, which the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Is this not starting to ring a bell with Isaiah chapter 30? He'll bring things to your remembrance.
He will teach you things. Now, let me read you another verse. Peace I leave with you, Jesus said. My peace I give unto you.
Now, what's he talking about there? The Holy Spirit. My peace that only comes through Jesus, he says, I leave with you in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Am I the only one that's getting excited about this? Remember, you're going to go through adversity, and when you go through adversity, look at me, you're going to have teachers and preachers that are going to advise you, don't put them in the corner anymore, don't avoid them anymore, don't shun them anymore, listen to what they have to say. But when the preacher or teacher isn't with you, you will hear a word behind you saying, this is the way, walk ye in it. And that word is coming from the Holy Spirit that he has promised will never leave you even in adversity. Let me read you some more verses. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.
The preacher, what does this mean? Oh, I've got some more verses. Listen to this, John chapter 16.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. This is what Jesus is saying. It is expedient for you that I go away, Jesus said, for if I go not away, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you. Now listen. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more, of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, is come. Listen to this. He will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. Now, let's plug all this in together.
All right? Isaiah chapter 30 tells us this. God will hear. Remember verse 18, I believe, verse 19? God will hear and he will answer.
You remember that. Look at your passage. Isaiah chapter 30, where we were, the Bible says he will hear and he will answer.
Now why is that important? John 16, 13 tells us that the Holy Spirit hears what God tells him. In John 16, 13, listen, let me read it. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. He shall hear from who? From God.
Now, let me tell you why this is all important. God hears us, the Holy Spirit hears God, we hear the Holy Spirit. That means in my adversity I say, God, I'm desperate, I don't know what to do, I need your help. God hears that prayer. God immediately turns to the Holy Spirit and he ministers to him, tells him what to tell us, and then while we're crying out the Holy Spirit, what he's heard from God tells us in our mind.
That's how it works. That's how you and I face adversity. We cry out to God. God cries out to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit tells us what God just told him to tell us. That's why we are not comfortless. Because we always have the word of God with us.
No matter what. Because of the Holy Spirit. That's why the Bible says that God uses a still, small voice.
That's what he uses, folks. Now listen to me, I want you to get this. In that verse, look at very closely if you would, in verse 21. I want you to notice those two words, thine ears. He tells us this. As you go through adversity, there will always be a witness, a man of God, that is proclaiming truth from my word.
And he said, when that man of God is not in your presence, then the Holy Spirit will guide you. And he says this, thine ears will hear this. Now, why is those two words, thine ears, important? Listen to me. No one else will hear this but you. You cannot expect everyone else to hear what the Holy Spirit tells you to do.
That's why there comes things in your life you know the Holy Spirit wants you to do, and even your wife, even your family, even your relatives, even other church members would say, I don't understand that, and I don't know why you think you gotta do that, and I don't necessarily agree with that, and that might not be what's financially best, or that might not be what I think is best, but when the Holy Spirit ministers to you, he is gonna minister to your ears. Let me tell you why this is still so very, very important. You and I will give account for our ears. That means that you and I are responsible for what our ears listen to.
Daniel Hotry is responsible to what my ears listen to. You are responsible to what your ears listen to, and if you and I are listening to the wrong people or the wrong things, we will not hear the Holy Spirit. Tell us what to do. Why did God say he was mad that they kept connecting with the Egyptians and the Assyrians and this and that? You know why?
Because they were connecting to them when they should have been connecting to him. He's like, they don't need to tell you what to do. They don't need to advise you. I will. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kirtland Baptist Church is located on 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you. .
