DON’T STOP RUNNING

After the presentation of the Beautiful and Righteous King who brings his people home (Isaiah 32:1, 33:17, 35), we're caught up in the story of another king in Isaiah 36-39. We're introduced to Hezekiah, who is a relatively good and faithful king of Judah that still suffers from some critical compromises. In his case, first God heals him from sickness (38-39), then God saves Jerusalem from the siege (36-37), and the king STILL responds complacently. He pays a tribute price to broker peace with Assyria (36:1; 2 Kgs 18:13-16), he courts an alliance with Babylon (39:1-4), and he contents himself with his present comfort when he learns of his people's future peril (39:5-8). He’s okay that, “There will be peace and security in my days,” (39:8) even though the total collapse into exile and captivity awaits his people. How disastrous would it be if we thought like this as a church? God’s people should never live complacent lives. We shouldn’t take a breather from faithfulness for any reason. Whether we’re tired from the journey and just want to lie down on the side of the road or we’re so sure we’re going to make it to heaven we just phone things in here on earth. If we want to remain in our city for generations to come, we can’t think like Hezekiah. God’s people should never live complacent lives. Neither the present trouble (36:1) nor the future hope (Is 35) ever justifies our apathy toward living faithfully in God’s world in every way that we can.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

SILAS & ALIA SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES

From July 12th through July 15th, 7 students and 1 parent chaperone joined 9 churches in the Sovereign Grace Church West Region for the West Region Youth Retreat. They gathered together for a time of worship, teaching, games, and lip-sync battles, all to the glory of God!

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING!

Our youth came back with stories of God’s goodness. This past Sunday, we heard from Silas Houlton & Alia Erkelens, regarding their experience at the retreat. Read Silas’ testimony and come away encouraged by how the Lord met him and other youth on this retreat.

The Youth Camp was a weekend full of games, and God. I liked how they made it really fun while setting the full focus on God. It had the camp experience. The theme of the camp was "Jesus is better." During the camp we had five sessions, all the sessions had announcements, worship, a sermon, and then we split up into small groups. The sermons were preached by three different pastors from three different churches. I think this camp had a big impact on me, because when I got home I found myself worshipping him more and reading the Bible more often. I’m really grateful I got to go to this camp and I’m looking foreword to next year. So if you’re looking for a great way to have the time of your life while drawing closer to God (and win a lip sync battle) consider coming to this camp!

Would this cause you to praise the Lord for how he’s raising up the next generation for his glory!

TAKE HEART ALONG THE WAY

Isaiah 25-27 was a glimpse of heaven. Chapter 35 is the journey to get there. A pilgrimage that begins in the desert and ends in a garden. But on the way to anywhere worth going, we wonder if it’s worth getting there - especially when we're walking through the wilderness! Traveling through the inhospitable desert of our current cultural moment where it's harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian. It would be far easier to abandon Christ and go back to Egypt. To give up on the Promised Land we’re headed toward and live like this life and this world is all there is. To become overcome with doubt whether we'll make it to the destination after all. To become distracted by the troubles that we face and lose sight of where we’re going. Isaiah 35 assures the "anxious heart," stuck in the thick of the wilderness and scurrying about with all these thoughts, that we have a King who will surely bring us home, we won’t be disappointed when we get there, and can enjoy the journey all along the way.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

TURNING TO GOD IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT DECISION

Isaiah 30-31 proclaims, “Don’t go down to Egypt!” Here’s the running logic of the book: In chapters 13-23, the nations are under judgement for their compromise. In Isaiah 14, we learn that the nations are empowered by the Original Compromiser - Satan himself. Therefore, in chapters 30-31, we emphatically conclude - SO DON’T TRUST IN THE NATIONS! Yet, the people of Judah compound their compromise, “add sin to sin,” and look to Egypt to find safety from the incoming Assyrian army. In so doing, they are foolishly and tragically “undoing” the exodus and recreating the captivity of old! This should be unthinkable, but if we’re honest, we do the same kind of thing when we’re under pressure and beginning to experience the consequences of our compromise. We find ourselves in situations where we indulge in sin and give into the backslide, seek counselors who will only tell us what we what to hear, and look in vain to idols of all kinds instead of the God who is our only hope. But even as we persist in pursuing our own personal “Egypt,” God patiently waits to be gracious to those who’ve doubled-down in their sin.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

JESUS CHRIST WILL DELIVER HIS PEOPLE

The pressure to compromise that comes from without is not only fueled by nations, peoples, and cultures that oppose God, but spiritual rebellion. The pressure out there is a pressure that comes from earth and heaven. Satan, the Original Compromiser – the very first creature who was not willing to receive God’s ideal for him – tempts the world to compromise just as he did and does. But on that day, he will be defeated. Predicted in Genesis 3, awaited by Isaiah’s generation, and received by us in the Messiah, the Branch, the Suffering Servant himself, Jesus Christ will cast him down and deliver His people from the original compromiser forever. As a result, we can be happy warriors! Satan is real and he’s really at work in a time when it’s harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian. But Christ is greater.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN FROM ISAIAH

In last Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Kyle preached from Isaiah 24-27 - a passage known as Isaiah’s Apocalypse, where Isaiah has end things; ultimate things; last things in view. In chapter 24, he foretells of the day of the Lord, when not only the nations will come under judgment, but all compromise everywhere will finally and ultimately be judged by God Himself. But in the next three chapters, the tone changes, dramatically to what follows the final judgment - namely, heaven. And not a disembodied spiritual heaven, but a physical new heavens and new earth. It’s a glorious future Christians look forward to. But the best part? We don’t just have to look forward to it. We can experience a taste of it today. Listen to the sermon to learn more.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

WE CAN’T COMPROMISE ON OUR MISSION

Not only Judah, but all mankind is compromised. Turning from words of judgment and hope to Judah (Isaiah 1-12), Isaiah speaks words of judgment (Is 13-23) and hope (Is 24-27) to the nations "out there." And here's what we can't miss: The world “out there” can be “dangerous” and scary, but nothing is scarier than what’s coming to those who don’t know Christ. The reality of this danger teaches us many things. That the good news of the gospel comes with the bad news of judgment. That everyone is accountable to God. That Jesus is not one valid option among many. That there is no neutral way of living in this world. And, most importantly, that we cannot compromise on getting the whole gospel to the whole world.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

DO NOT LET YOUR HEART BE FAINT

It's 6 years after Isaiah's call, a new king is on the throne, and the nations that were signaled in Isaiah 5:26 are knocking on Judah's door in the form of an Israel-Syria alliance (7:1-2). It's a dangerous time to be God's people. But in the midst of this danger, God speaks a word of promise (7:14). In this moment, and in our own moments of "danger," we are faced with the options of responding in fearful compromise or courageous faith in the promises of God (8:11-13). The first option takes us down the road of complaining, complacency, and compromise. The latter leads us forward in confident faith that God will keep us, sustain us, and deliver us from every "danger" that comes our way. Why? Because God himself is with us, and this places courage within us (9:6-7). 

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

CLEANSED FOR SERVICE

In order to be an uncompromising church, we must be holy as God is holy. Separated from sin and devoted to God's purposes. Yet, all too often, when it comes to holiness, we focus only upon what we shouldn't do. What doesn't belong in the house. But that's only half the story of holiness. As Isaiah 6:8-13 demonstrates, we've not just been cleansed from sin but cleansed for service. In other words, God wants us to really live in his house. He wants us to enjoy life in his presence. To feel at home with holiness. And to have Christian lives not simply marked by the absence of sin, but the fullness of giving ourselves to God’s purposes. Honoring what he honors, loving what he loves, living in glad reception of his good gifts, and eagerly offering ourselves as his instruments to bless and build up our families, our church, and our neighbors, and to be witnesses to the gospel.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE

CAST ALL YOUR HOPES AND CARES ON HIM

On Sunday, we were joined by guest preacher Jackson Tran who encouraged us to rest our souls in Christ. As we've been reflecting on in our Isaiah sermon series, we live in a cultural moment where it's harder than ever to be an ordinary Christian. Where can we look to find peace for our troubled times and peace for our troubled souls? Luke 19:28-44 tells us to look no further than Jesus Christ. The humble King who not only announces, but has achieved, true peace. A peace he offers to the weary Christian who is tossed around by the waves of the world and the temptations within. A peace he extends to our neighbors who still remain under the wrath to come.

LISTEN TO THE SERMON HERE