1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,100 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 2 00:00:07,100 –> 00:00:15,060 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org. 3 00:00:15,060 –> 00:00:17,760 Let’s get to the message. 4 00:00:17,760 –> 00:00:19,660 Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:19,660 –> 00:00:23,780 Well, please open your Bible again at Isaiah chapter 53. 6 00:00:23,820 –> 00:00:30,219 This is one of the best known and best loved chapters in all of the Bible and in every 7 00:00:30,219 –> 00:00:35,900 verse Isaiah is inviting us to look at the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 00:00:35,900 –> 00:00:40,480 The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest good news that this 9 00:00:40,480 –> 00:00:42,419 world has ever heard. 10 00:00:42,419 –> 00:00:48,860 And yet across the world and in every culture, the dominant response to the good news of 11 00:00:48,860 –> 00:00:52,400 Jesus is one of overwhelming unbelief. 12 00:00:52,400 –> 00:00:58,619 And this is where Isaiah begins, who has believed what he has heard from us and to 13 00:00:58,619 –> 00:01:03,680 whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 14 00:01:03,680 –> 00:01:07,540 Why is it that the world is filled with unbelief? 15 00:01:07,540 –> 00:01:14,839 Well, we saw last time from verse two that we are distracted by the wrong considerations. 16 00:01:14,879 –> 00:01:22,559 We are drawn to the wrong priorities and we are driven by the wrong desires. 17 00:01:22,559 –> 00:01:27,540 And these are the things that lie behind unbelief. 18 00:01:27,540 –> 00:01:34,260 And you may find them therefore to be a useful guide for conversations with unbelieving friends 19 00:01:34,260 –> 00:01:35,980 and loved ones. 20 00:01:35,980 –> 00:01:38,980 Why do you not believe? 21 00:01:38,980 –> 00:01:43,360 Could it be that you have been distracted by the wrong considerations? 22 00:01:43,860 –> 00:01:47,360 Could it be that you are pursuing the wrong priorities? 23 00:01:47,360 –> 00:01:52,360 Could it be that you are driven by the wrong desires? 24 00:01:52,360 –> 00:01:59,519 So, Isaiah begins this marvellous chapter in which he invites us to look to Jesus by 25 00:01:59,519 –> 00:02:07,139 telling us that the primary problem from which we need to be saved is the problem of our 26 00:02:07,139 –> 00:02:09,460 own sinful unbelief. 27 00:02:09,460 –> 00:02:16,440 Who has believed what he has heard from us? 28 00:02:16,440 –> 00:02:22,220 So then the question is how does a person come to faith? 29 00:02:22,220 –> 00:02:28,779 And we ended last time by noting two things that you can do that will lead to faith. 30 00:02:28,779 –> 00:02:33,179 The first is to take a good and honest look at yourself. 31 00:02:33,179 –> 00:02:36,520 That’s what this verse helps us to do. 32 00:02:36,520 –> 00:02:42,759 When you take an honest look at yourself, you will see that you are a sinner who needs 33 00:02:42,759 –> 00:02:43,759 a savior. 34 00:02:43,759 –> 00:02:48,559 And when you see that, you will be well on your way to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 35 00:02:48,559 –> 00:02:54,559 And then as you take an honest look at yourself take an honest look at Jesus Christ, and when 36 00:02:54,559 –> 00:03:01,759 you do, you will see that Jesus Christ is the savior that you need. 37 00:03:01,880 –> 00:03:07,720 Now, the whole story of this chapter, the whole series, as we’re going through it together 38 00:03:07,720 –> 00:03:13,199 throughout this year, it is an invitation to look at the Lord Jesus Christ. 39 00:03:13,199 –> 00:03:16,960 That’s what Isaiah 53 is all about. 40 00:03:16,960 –> 00:03:22,440 And we saw last time that Isaiah begins by inviting us to look at the early life of Jesus. 41 00:03:22,440 –> 00:03:24,740 How did Jesus grow up? 42 00:03:24,740 –> 00:03:28,240 Well, He grew up like a young plant. 43 00:03:28,240 –> 00:03:31,320 In other words, He grew up very very quietly. 44 00:03:31,320 –> 00:03:34,639 He did not attract attention to Himself. 45 00:03:34,639 –> 00:03:36,399 He grew up before Him. 46 00:03:36,399 –> 00:03:39,919 That is, He grew up before the Lord. 47 00:03:39,919 –> 00:03:45,860 He grew up with a profound awareness that the eye of God was on Him in everything that 48 00:03:45,860 –> 00:03:49,600 He said and everything that He did. 49 00:03:49,600 –> 00:03:55,740 And we saw that the Lord Jesus Christ is our model for growing up. 50 00:03:55,740 –> 00:03:59,000 Our students are under constant pressure. 51 00:03:59,660 –> 00:04:03,059 How am I going to stand out from the crowd? 52 00:04:03,059 –> 00:04:06,699 How am I going to make an impression? 53 00:04:06,699 –> 00:04:13,940 And we saw last time that if you follow the example of Jesus, you will be released from 54 00:04:13,940 –> 00:04:16,320 a great burden. 55 00:04:16,320 –> 00:04:18,339 You really will. 56 00:04:18,339 –> 00:04:23,119 Jesus did four things as He grew up. 57 00:04:23,119 –> 00:04:28,779 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with man. 58 00:04:29,160 –> 00:04:32,660 And here’s what God calls us to do as we are growing up. 59 00:04:32,660 –> 00:04:34,980 We follow the model of Jesus. 60 00:04:34,980 –> 00:04:36,380 What does that mean? 61 00:04:36,380 –> 00:04:43,140 You eat healthy food and you get good exercise so that you grow strong physically, you develop 62 00:04:43,140 –> 00:04:49,700 the capacity of your mind by studying hard, you form good friendships by being a good 63 00:04:49,700 –> 00:04:57,000 friend to other people and you get to know God and you live in a way that honors Him. 64 00:04:57,380 –> 00:05:05,859 Focus on these four things and you will be released from a whole world of anxiety. 65 00:05:05,859 –> 00:05:12,820 Now today we come to Verse 3, where Isaiah moves from inviting us to look at the early 66 00:05:12,820 –> 00:05:19,480 life of Jesus to looking at the ministry of Jesus. 67 00:05:19,480 –> 00:05:25,119 We’re then going to see later this year, his death and his resurrection and his triumph. 68 00:05:25,119 –> 00:05:30,299 Today we’re focusing in this verse on the ministry of the Lord Jesus. 69 00:05:30,299 –> 00:05:40,140 And we’re told here he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with 70 00:05:40,140 –> 00:05:41,700 grief. 71 00:05:41,700 –> 00:05:52,059 And as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not. 72 00:05:52,059 –> 00:05:59,019 Now notice that Jesus is described here as a man of sorrows. 73 00:05:59,019 –> 00:06:05,899 Now that does not mean that Jesus was miserable or that he was unhappy. 74 00:06:05,899 –> 00:06:16,320 You may have heard this comment that is often quoted that the Bible records that Jesus wept 75 00:06:16,320 –> 00:06:20,739 but it never says that Jesus laughed. 76 00:06:20,739 –> 00:06:26,880 Now that statement, if you’ve heard it, is true it is also terribly misleading 77 00:06:26,880 –> 00:06:33,440 because it implies that Jesus was somehow an unhappy person 78 00:06:33,440 –> 00:06:38,920 and, therefore, of course, it implies that to follow him would be to join up with a 79 00:06:38,920 –> 00:06:43,239 small band of disheartened people who are constantly mourning and complaining 80 00:06:43,239 –> 00:06:47,899 about the state of the world and never have any fun. 81 00:06:48,079 –> 00:06:51,880 And who in the world would want to do that? 82 00:06:51,880 –> 00:06:58,519 But I want you to remember that Jesus spoke to the disciples about his joy. 83 00:06:58,519 –> 00:07:04,040 John chapter 15 and verse 11, these things I have spoken to you, Jesus says that my joy 84 00:07:04,040 –> 00:07:09,040 may be in you and that your joy may be full. 85 00:07:09,040 –> 00:07:17,859 Jesus preached good news and it is impossible to preach good news with a long face. 86 00:07:17,859 –> 00:07:20,880 The Bible says that God is forever blessed. 87 00:07:20,880 –> 00:07:29,519 He’s content in himself, he’s at peace in himself, he is full of joy in himself. 88 00:07:29,519 –> 00:07:37,839 And Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, and that means Jesus Christ is joy in the flesh. 89 00:07:38,000 –> 00:07:46,320 The things I have spoken to you, Jesus says, I’ve spoken them that my joy may be in you and 90 00:07:46,320 –> 00:07:48,880 that your joy may be full. 91 00:07:50,640 –> 00:07:57,440 So, why then was Jesus the fountain of all joy a man of sorrows? 92 00:07:58,079 –> 00:08:01,119 And this verse gives us the answer. 93 00:08:01,359 –> 00:08:08,559 The reason that Jesus was a man of sorrows is that he was despised and rejected by men. 94 00:08:09,660 –> 00:08:12,839 He was as one form whom man hide their faces. 95 00:08:13,959 –> 00:08:18,660 He was despised and we esteemed him not. 96 00:08:19,519 –> 00:08:29,079 Jesus came, the New Testament tells us, to his own, and his own received him not. 97 00:08:30,019 –> 00:08:36,340 We remember that when he came to his hometown of Nazareth, 98 00:08:36,340 –> 00:08:40,440 and he opened up the Scriptures and pointed out how he himself fulfilled them. 99 00:08:40,979 –> 00:08:43,280 What was the response of the people in the hometown? 100 00:08:43,280 –> 00:08:49,640 They took him to the brow of a hill because they wanted to throw him off a cliff. 101 00:08:49,640 –> 00:08:52,659 You remember that the Lord Jesus performed miracles – 102 00:08:52,659 –> 00:08:56,719 releasing people from evil powers that bound them, 103 00:08:56,719 –> 00:09:04,859 and the scribes said he is possessed by the devil? 104 00:09:04,859 –> 00:09:07,940 When Jesus restored a man who had terrorized a community 105 00:09:07,940 –> 00:09:11,059 so that he was in his right mind, 106 00:09:11,059 –> 00:09:15,380 and dressed, and at peace? 107 00:09:15,380 –> 00:09:21,179 Well, the community actually begged Jesus to leave their region! 108 00:09:21,179 –> 00:09:25,500 And do you remember that when Jesus was arrested and brought before Pontius Pilate, 109 00:09:26,080 –> 00:09:30,840 Pilate found him to be an innocent man, and so he wanted to release him, 110 00:09:30,840 –> 00:09:35,859 but the crowd called for the release of a notorious prisoner, 111 00:09:36,859 –> 00:09:44,179 Barabbas, a man of violence, the Bible tells us was a robber and a murderer. 112 00:09:44,179 –> 00:09:49,659 They would rather have him on the streets than Jesus, 113 00:09:50,159 –> 00:09:58,900 and they called for Barabbas to be released because they despised the Lord Jesus Christ. 114 00:09:58,900 –> 00:10:03,760 Now Isaiah anticipates all of this in our verse here today. 115 00:10:03,760 –> 00:10:08,859 Jesus was a man of sorrows, and why was he a man of sorrows? 116 00:10:08,859 –> 00:10:12,419 Because we despised him and we rejected him. 117 00:10:12,419 –> 00:10:16,099 Because we hid our faces from him. 118 00:10:16,099 –> 00:10:21,580 Because we esteemed him not. 119 00:10:21,580 –> 00:10:26,659 Now, the title of the message today is Our Verdict, 120 00:10:26,659 –> 00:10:32,820 and I want you to notice that this verse indicates to us the process 121 00:10:32,820 –> 00:10:38,760 by which a person comes to have a verdict about Jesus. 122 00:10:38,760 –> 00:10:45,960 In this verse, each line explains what went before. 123 00:10:45,960 –> 00:10:50,719 So if you look at it, he was despised and rejected. 124 00:10:50,719 –> 00:10:52,940 Well now, why was he despised and rejected? 125 00:10:52,940 –> 00:10:59,400 Well, here’s why, because we hid our faces from him. 126 00:10:59,400 –> 00:11:01,880 And why did we hide our faces from him? 127 00:11:01,880 –> 00:11:08,659 Well, we hid our faces from him, because we esteemed him not. 128 00:11:09,159 –> 00:11:17,400 This verse is telling us that unbelief is a decision in which the whole person is involved. 129 00:11:17,400 –> 00:11:22,260 The mind, the heart, the will. 130 00:11:22,260 –> 00:11:31,179 They’re all fully engaged in faith and they’re all fully engaged in unbelief as well. 131 00:11:31,179 –> 00:11:36,340 Now today we’re going to look at two very important things from this verse. 132 00:11:36,340 –> 00:11:47,380 The first thing is how we make decisions and the second, how God changes our hearts. 133 00:11:47,380 –> 00:11:56,299 First I want us to see here, how we make decisions and decisions begin when the mind calculates. 134 00:11:56,299 –> 00:12:05,380 And I say this because of the words of Isaiah here, we esteemed him not. 135 00:12:05,880 –> 00:12:17,080 And the word esteemed very clearly takes us into the world of the mind where an evaluation takes place. 136 00:12:17,080 –> 00:12:22,880 Alec Meteer, an esteemed commentator on the book of Isaiah says this and I quote, 137 00:12:22,880 –> 00:12:31,960 esteemed is an accounting word, a reckoning up of value. 138 00:12:31,960 –> 00:12:40,020 So when you see this phrase we esteemed him not, think about accounting, think about a ledger, 139 00:12:40,020 –> 00:12:47,219 think about columns of numbers, think about what is added to profit, 140 00:12:47,219 –> 00:12:54,080 think about what is listed under loss, that’s the world that we are in. 141 00:12:54,400 –> 00:13:06,239 And the first step in any decision involves the mind making a calculation, like accounting. 142 00:13:06,239 –> 00:13:13,760 What’s the value here? What’s the cost here? That’s what Isaiah is telling us. 143 00:13:13,760 –> 00:13:22,299 And when people looked at Jesus they did this accounting and they came to the conclusion, no value. 144 00:13:22,739 –> 00:13:26,659 And that of course is why he was crucified. 145 00:13:26,659 –> 00:13:34,960 Now, of course, there were various numbers, as it were, that went in on the plus and the minus side on this accounting. 146 00:13:34,960 –> 00:13:39,400 When Jesus did miracles, oh, well, that seemed like a big plus. 147 00:13:39,400 –> 00:13:45,179 Oh, well, then people said, wait, we must make him king and they wanted to take him by force and make him king. 148 00:13:45,179 –> 00:13:49,380 Maybe we can get his power used to fulfill our agenda. 149 00:13:49,739 –> 00:13:58,239 But then when Jesus began to speak about the significance of the miracle in which he fed 5,000 people and he said, 150 00:13:58,239 –> 00:14:04,979 I’m the Bread of Life, and whoever feeds on me will live forever. 151 00:14:04,979 –> 00:14:07,760 Well, then they very quickly lost interest. 152 00:14:07,760 –> 00:14:10,080 That was a big, big negative. 153 00:14:10,080 –> 00:14:18,280 And in the end, they saw zero value in Jesus. 154 00:14:18,280 –> 00:14:21,599 The mind calculates. 155 00:14:21,599 –> 00:14:26,880 Then we make decisions as the heart directs. 156 00:14:26,880 –> 00:14:33,080 Notice what Isaiah says here, as one from whom men hide their faces. 157 00:14:33,080 –> 00:14:38,659 Now, as esteemed takes us into the world of the mind, 158 00:14:38,799 –> 00:14:45,880 these words about hiding our faces clearly get us into the world of the heart. 159 00:14:46,739 –> 00:14:57,140 Isaiah is describing an intense emotional reaction as one from whom men hide their faces. 160 00:14:57,140 –> 00:14:59,940 There’s revulsion here. 161 00:14:59,940 –> 00:15:01,440 There’s turning away. 162 00:15:01,440 –> 00:15:05,200 These people can’t bear to look. 163 00:15:05,280 –> 00:15:12,580 And the whole point of this chapter, remember, is that Isaiah is inviting us to look at the Lord Jesus Christ 164 00:15:12,580 –> 00:15:17,880 and now he’s telling us but this is something actually that the human heart doesn’t want to do. 165 00:15:18,739 –> 00:15:26,919 Isaiah has already told us in verse 2 as we saw last time that Jesus had no form or majesty that we should look at him. 166 00:15:26,919 –> 00:15:31,619 Now he’s telling us that we actually resist looking at him. 167 00:15:31,619 –> 00:15:33,979 That’s what the sinful heart does. 168 00:15:34,000 –> 00:15:41,960 People actually put their hands over their faces so that they don’t look at the Lord Jesus Christ. 169 00:15:41,960 –> 00:15:45,640 We hid our faces from him. 170 00:15:48,159 –> 00:15:57,840 Now we may think that the normal response to God from the sinful human heart is simply apathy. 171 00:15:58,700 –> 00:16:05,260 But do you see that Isaiah is telling us quite clearly here that the problem goes deeper. 172 00:16:05,260 –> 00:16:10,739 It’s not just that people don’t want to look at Jesus. 173 00:16:10,739 –> 00:16:17,419 It’s that the sinful heart can’t bare to look at Jesus. 174 00:16:18,739 –> 00:16:23,260 Now you might wonder is that really true? 175 00:16:23,260 –> 00:16:26,679 Well listen to these words of the Apostle Paul. 176 00:16:26,880 –> 00:16:28,780 Romans 8, verse 7. 177 00:16:28,940 –> 00:16:39,979 The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God for it does not submit to God’s law, 178 00:16:39,979 –> 00:16:44,580 indeed it cannot. 179 00:16:44,580 –> 00:16:47,919 Why do people not believe? 180 00:16:47,919 –> 00:16:51,479 Is it really that the evidence in the scripture is insufficient for faith? 181 00:16:51,479 –> 00:16:55,119 No, it’s not that at all. 182 00:16:55,200 –> 00:17:05,380 Men do not believe, the apostle says here, because the flesh is hostile to God. 183 00:17:05,380 –> 00:17:07,260 Hostile. 184 00:17:07,260 –> 00:17:13,760 Now that doesn’t mean, of course, that all people are constantly walking about seething 185 00:17:13,760 –> 00:17:21,640 with resentment towards God, but what it does mean is this, that unbelief is a decision 186 00:17:21,640 –> 00:17:26,260 in which the mind, the heart, and the will are all actively engaged. 187 00:17:26,260 –> 00:17:34,099 And that’s why only the arm of the Lord can save us from it. 188 00:17:34,099 –> 00:17:40,160 So we’re looking at how decisions are made and Isaiah is particularly pointing us to 189 00:17:40,160 –> 00:17:42,439 how unbelief is formed. 190 00:17:42,439 –> 00:17:46,239 The mind does a calculation, doesn’t see value in Jesus. 191 00:17:46,239 –> 00:17:47,459 It’s weighed up. 192 00:17:47,680 –> 00:17:52,859 The pluses and the minuses and it’s come out to a zero. 193 00:17:52,859 –> 00:17:58,719 The heart then directs and, of course, then the will decides. 194 00:17:58,719 –> 00:18:06,119 And here look at Isaiah’s words, he was despised and rejected by men. 195 00:18:06,119 –> 00:18:12,500 Well, you can see as the word esteemed takes us into the world of the mind and men hiding 196 00:18:12,540 –> 00:18:19,260 their faces, takes us into the world of the heart and of the feelings of revulsion, the 197 00:18:19,260 –> 00:18:25,500 word here despised and rejected clearly takes us into the word, world of the will. 198 00:18:25,500 –> 00:18:31,979 We’re speaking here about a decision about a determined refusal. 199 00:18:31,979 –> 00:18:39,619 So do you see that in these three lines we have a description of the way in which we 200 00:18:39,619 –> 00:18:41,599 make decisions. 201 00:18:41,599 –> 00:18:48,000 The mind calculates, we esteem to him not. 202 00:18:48,000 –> 00:18:54,079 The heart directs, we hid our faces from him. 203 00:18:54,079 –> 00:19:02,040 The will decides he was despised and rejected. 204 00:19:02,040 –> 00:19:11,880 The Apostle John says in John 3 and verse 19, this is the judgment. 205 00:19:11,880 –> 00:19:23,199 The light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light. 206 00:19:23,199 –> 00:19:30,920 See, we like to think that the head rules the heart, but the reality is that we are 207 00:19:30,920 –> 00:19:34,219 ruled by what we love. 208 00:19:34,219 –> 00:19:40,060 Your heart rules and your mind is its servant. 209 00:19:40,060 –> 00:19:44,239 And the natural state of the human heart is that we are lovers of self. 210 00:19:44,239 –> 00:19:45,880 We are lovers of money. 211 00:19:45,880 –> 00:19:52,000 We are lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God. 212 00:19:52,000 –> 00:19:56,939 And so here is how unbelief is formed. 213 00:19:57,079 –> 00:20:01,819 Here’s how that decided commitment is made. 214 00:20:01,819 –> 00:20:10,339 I like to think of it this way, there’s a memo from the mind to the heart. 215 00:20:10,339 –> 00:20:18,619 Dear heart, you have trusted me to give you intelligence and I am happy to serve you in 216 00:20:18,619 –> 00:20:19,619 this way. 217 00:20:20,500 –> 00:20:27,180 I have taken initial soundings regarding faith in Jesus Christ and I have to inform you that 218 00:20:27,180 –> 00:20:35,420 he may pose a threat to certain affections that you cherish. 219 00:20:35,420 –> 00:20:41,140 What will heart do when heart receives that memo? 220 00:20:41,140 –> 00:20:44,900 Well heart will send another memo to will. 221 00:20:45,160 –> 00:20:52,520 Dear will I have received intelligence from mind to the effect that further engagement 222 00:20:52,520 –> 00:20:59,180 with Jesus Christ may pose a risk to certain affections that we cherish. 223 00:20:59,180 –> 00:21:08,599 I am therefore instructing you that we should resist any further movement in the direction 224 00:21:08,599 –> 00:21:11,000 of faith. 225 00:21:11,000 –> 00:21:17,500 Now you see this is very simply the normal way in which we make decisions. 226 00:21:17,500 –> 00:21:24,979 The mind calculates, the heart directs, and the will decides. 227 00:21:24,979 –> 00:21:32,760 And you know you can see it in the great evil that is the focus of the entire world’s attention 228 00:21:32,760 –> 00:21:34,520 today. 229 00:21:34,520 –> 00:21:39,579 The army of one nation invades another country? 230 00:21:39,599 –> 00:21:43,540 How could that happen? 231 00:21:43,540 –> 00:21:47,199 And the answer is along these lines, surely. 232 00:21:47,199 –> 00:21:51,479 That the mind made a calculation? 233 00:21:51,479 –> 00:21:56,680 We have a vast army, we can roll our tanks over the border. 234 00:21:56,680 –> 00:22:00,459 It’ll all be over in a few days. 235 00:22:00,459 –> 00:22:06,719 And the heart then says, oh, well, that sounds fairly straightforward. 236 00:22:07,619 –> 00:22:12,800 And I am set on having these cities as my own, and so the command is given, and will 237 00:22:12,800 –> 00:22:18,479 is loosed to bring great destruction. 238 00:22:18,479 –> 00:22:21,280 But you see the question? 239 00:22:21,280 –> 00:22:28,239 What if the intelligence given by the mind to the heart is faulty? 240 00:22:28,239 –> 00:22:35,160 Well then the loss would be very great. 241 00:22:35,160 –> 00:22:38,920 Now that brings us to the second thing that’s really important here. 242 00:22:38,920 –> 00:22:41,439 We’ve seen how we make decisions. 243 00:22:41,439 –> 00:22:49,199 This is the normal natural process by which making all kinds of decisions all of the time. 244 00:22:49,199 –> 00:22:52,119 The heart reigns. 245 00:22:52,119 –> 00:22:56,800 And so how can the heart be changed? 246 00:22:56,800 –> 00:23:01,199 how does God change the heart? 247 00:23:01,199 –> 00:23:09,000 And here is what I want us to grasp from our reflection on this remarkable verse today. 248 00:23:09,000 –> 00:23:20,020 That the heart will be changed when the mind does a new calculation based on a new discovery. 249 00:23:20,020 –> 00:23:26,540 And our Lord Jesus told a marvelous story that illustrates this perfectly. 250 00:23:26,560 –> 00:23:35,540 Matthew chapter 13 in verse 44 Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. 251 00:23:35,540 –> 00:23:50,380 Which a man found and covered up then in His joy He goes and sells all that He has and buys the field. 252 00:23:50,380 –> 00:23:55,260 Now think about this field, just been lying there. 253 00:23:56,199 –> 00:24:02,219 It hasn’t provoked any interest from this man before. 254 00:24:02,219 –> 00:24:06,619 In fact he has walked over the field for years never really given it a thought. 255 00:24:06,619 –> 00:24:14,739 But in some way He has come to discover that there is treasure buried in this field. 256 00:24:14,739 –> 00:24:16,339 And so what does he do? 257 00:24:16,339 –> 00:24:21,339 He does a new calculation in regards to the field. 258 00:24:21,339 –> 00:24:24,020 Based on his new discovery. 259 00:24:24,020 –> 00:24:26,420 And here’s the calculation it’s very simple. 260 00:24:26,420 –> 00:24:31,219 There is treasure that is buried in this field. 261 00:24:32,260 –> 00:24:38,500 If this field was ours, we would be rich beyond measure. 262 00:24:38,500 –> 00:24:42,819 Therefore we must buy this field. 263 00:24:43,780 –> 00:24:46,500 And Jesus says the man then goes with joy. 264 00:24:47,140 –> 00:24:48,420 He sells all that he has. 265 00:24:49,380 –> 00:24:55,219 in order to buy this field that is going to make him fabulously wealthy. 266 00:24:56,900 –> 00:24:58,339 Now you see how this works. 267 00:24:59,060 –> 00:25:01,859 There’s a memo from the mind to the heart. 268 00:25:03,140 –> 00:25:08,739 Dear heart, you have instructed me to provide you with intelligence 269 00:25:08,739 –> 00:25:10,819 and I am pleased to inform you 270 00:25:11,619 –> 00:25:15,459 of a new opportunity that has opened up for us. 271 00:25:15,459 –> 00:25:20,900 I have identified a field in which treasure is buried 272 00:25:20,900 –> 00:25:24,979 and this field is available for our purchase. 273 00:25:26,660 –> 00:25:28,099 Now what’s the heart going to do? 274 00:25:29,219 –> 00:25:33,060 Well of course the heart is immediately going to send another memo to the will. 275 00:25:33,060 –> 00:25:35,300 Well dear Will 276 00:25:36,339 –> 00:25:40,500 I have received intelligence from mind regarding treasure 277 00:25:40,500 –> 00:25:42,900 that is buried in a field. 278 00:25:42,900 –> 00:25:45,780 The field is available for purchase 279 00:25:45,780 –> 00:25:50,420 therefore I am directing you to buy it at any price. 280 00:25:52,180 –> 00:25:53,619 At any price 281 00:25:55,459 –> 00:25:57,140 and armed with that memo 282 00:25:57,140 –> 00:26:03,939 Will has the strength to pursue this purpose. 283 00:26:06,020 –> 00:26:14,979 Now Jesus is like a field in which treasure lies buried 284 00:26:16,339 –> 00:26:17,699 If you get the field 285 00:26:18,900 –> 00:26:19,939 You get the treasure 286 00:26:21,060 –> 00:26:24,420 And it’s a 53 is really a display of the treasure 287 00:26:24,420 –> 00:26:29,540 is telling you all that is yours if you have Jesus Christ 288 00:26:31,859 –> 00:26:36,020 This chapter tells us everything that we need to know in order to make a proper 289 00:26:36,020 –> 00:26:40,900 evaluation of Jesus, who he is, what he has accomplished 290 00:26:41,540 –> 00:26:43,939 What it is that he offers to us 291 00:26:44,020 –> 00:26:45,140 And here’s the thing 292 00:26:46,099 –> 00:26:49,619 Knowing the treasure will change your heart 293 00:26:51,140 –> 00:26:54,339 And when your heart gets set on the treasure 294 00:26:54,739 –> 00:26:55,859 you will have the will 295 00:26:56,660 –> 00:27:03,380 You will have the desire to make Christ your own, whatever it costs you 296 00:27:03,939 –> 00:27:04,979 Here’s the principle 297 00:27:06,099 –> 00:27:11,459 Your heart will be changed when your mind makes a new calculation 298 00:27:11,459 –> 00:27:14,739 based on a new discovery 299 00:27:16,660 –> 00:27:18,339 Now in our last few moments today 300 00:27:18,339 –> 00:27:21,699 I would like then to apply this principle 301 00:27:21,699 –> 00:27:26,900 that we’ve drawn from Isaiah chapter 53 and verse three 302 00:27:26,900 –> 00:27:31,140 and I’d like to apply it in four distinct ways 303 00:27:32,500 –> 00:27:35,380 First, you can use this wonderful truth 304 00:27:35,380 –> 00:27:37,380 that the heart will be changed 305 00:27:37,380 –> 00:27:40,500 when your mind does a new calculation based on a new discovery 306 00:27:40,500 –> 00:27:45,859 You can use this in your fight against temptation 307 00:27:47,380 –> 00:27:48,099 Temptation 308 00:27:48,739 –> 00:27:51,619 think of the ledger again, think of the accounting 309 00:27:52,660 –> 00:27:56,979 Temptation gains power in your life 310 00:27:56,979 –> 00:28:01,540 when what it offers seems to outweigh what it will cost 311 00:28:03,300 –> 00:28:05,619 Temptation always has its allure 312 00:28:05,619 –> 00:28:07,060 That is true of any temptation 313 00:28:07,060 –> 00:28:08,819 that’s what makes it a temptation 314 00:28:09,780 –> 00:28:11,300 So, the question is always 315 00:28:11,300 –> 00:28:15,219 how do you build the strength to resist it? 316 00:28:16,099 –> 00:28:17,859 And the answer is 317 00:28:17,859 –> 00:28:21,859 you show your heart the treasure 318 00:28:23,619 –> 00:28:27,780 you begin to list all that is gained 319 00:28:27,780 –> 00:28:30,579 by saying no to ungodliness 320 00:28:31,939 –> 00:28:33,140 peace with God 321 00:28:34,819 –> 00:28:36,420 A clear conscience 322 00:28:38,180 –> 00:28:39,780 the joy of worship 323 00:28:39,780 –> 00:28:46,500 being filled with the Holy Spirit 324 00:28:46,500 –> 00:28:51,219 a fresh experience of the love of God 325 00:28:51,219 –> 00:28:52,500 bearing fruit 326 00:28:53,859 –> 00:28:55,780 being delivered from fear 327 00:28:57,300 –> 00:28:59,939 Show your heart the treasure 328 00:28:59,939 –> 00:29:05,140 Show what is to be gained by resisting temptation 329 00:29:05,140 –> 00:29:09,060 And you will be strengthened in that battle 330 00:29:10,099 –> 00:29:11,699 Your heart will be changed 331 00:29:12,420 –> 00:29:15,699 when your mind does a new calculation 332 00:29:16,819 –> 00:29:18,420 based on a new discovery 333 00:29:20,500 –> 00:29:25,780 And then, use this principle in reaching out to others 334 00:29:25,780 –> 00:29:28,099 All of us have friends and loved ones 335 00:29:28,099 –> 00:29:32,660 who we long to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 336 00:29:32,660 –> 00:29:36,020 Sometimes they seem to have very, very little interest 337 00:29:36,979 –> 00:29:38,339 There may be someone in your life 338 00:29:38,339 –> 00:29:41,140 who just seems determined not to believe 339 00:29:42,739 –> 00:29:45,140 And we’re exploring in this series 340 00:29:45,140 –> 00:29:47,380 some practical ways to help 341 00:29:50,260 –> 00:29:54,660 We looked last time at questions 342 00:29:54,660 –> 00:29:55,300 You can ask 343 00:29:55,300 –> 00:29:59,699 what lies behind unbelief for you? 344 00:30:00,660 –> 00:30:06,420 Have you been distracted by the wrong considerations? 345 00:30:07,380 –> 00:30:10,660 Have you been drawn to the wrong priorities? 346 00:30:10,660 –> 00:30:12,979 Are you being driven by the wrong desires? 347 00:30:12,979 –> 00:30:17,780 These are helpful questions to open up conversations 348 00:30:17,780 –> 00:30:19,780 in what lies behind unbelief 349 00:30:20,500 –> 00:30:23,619 But here’s the greatest thing that you can ever do 350 00:30:24,420 –> 00:30:26,579 to help someone who does not yet believe 351 00:30:27,219 –> 00:30:28,660 Show them the treasure 352 00:30:30,660 –> 00:30:33,619 Show them what could be theirs in the Lord Jesus Christ 353 00:30:35,380 –> 00:30:38,260 Show them the great things that Jesus Christ offers 354 00:30:38,260 –> 00:30:42,900 He’s like a field in which there is buried treasure 355 00:30:44,339 –> 00:30:45,699 And when you have the field 356 00:30:45,699 –> 00:30:50,900 you are infinitely rich in Jesus Christ 357 00:30:52,420 –> 00:30:53,619 Point them to the treasure 358 00:30:54,819 –> 00:30:58,260 Pray that God will open their eyes to see it 359 00:30:58,339 –> 00:31:03,219 And the heart of your unbelieving friend or loved one 360 00:31:03,219 –> 00:31:09,300 will be changed when he or she makes a new calculation 361 00:31:09,300 –> 00:31:12,339 based on a new discovery 362 00:31:14,500 –> 00:31:16,500 And then here’s a third way 363 00:31:16,500 –> 00:31:19,540 in which we can use this very important principle 364 00:31:19,540 –> 00:31:21,939 that the heart is changed 365 00:31:21,939 –> 00:31:23,859 when your mind does a new calculation 366 00:31:23,859 –> 00:31:25,300 based on a new discovery 367 00:31:26,180 –> 00:31:29,459 Use this when you suffer 368 00:31:31,619 –> 00:31:35,060 Jesus was a man of sorrows 369 00:31:36,660 –> 00:31:38,979 and the reason that he was a man of sorrows 370 00:31:38,979 –> 00:31:41,459 was that we esteemed him not 371 00:31:42,420 –> 00:31:44,260 He was despised and rejected 372 00:31:44,260 –> 00:31:45,219 He was unwanted 373 00:31:46,339 –> 00:31:48,739 We hid our faces from him 374 00:31:50,660 –> 00:31:53,699 Now, have you known what it is 375 00:31:53,699 –> 00:31:55,859 to suffer loss? 376 00:31:57,619 –> 00:31:59,219 to suffer injustice? 377 00:32:00,339 –> 00:32:02,739 to be pushed to the margins? 378 00:32:03,699 –> 00:32:04,900 to be despised? 379 00:32:05,939 –> 00:32:06,979 to be rejected? 380 00:32:08,260 –> 00:32:12,500 Do you know what it is to really feel unwanted? 381 00:32:14,420 –> 00:32:16,660 You will find great comfort 382 00:32:18,020 –> 00:32:21,219 in knowing that Jesus Christ himself has been there 383 00:32:21,219 –> 00:32:26,500 Think about it, Jesus was a man of sorrows 384 00:32:27,619 –> 00:32:30,660 He was despised and he was rejected 385 00:32:31,780 –> 00:32:34,020 We hid our faces from him 386 00:32:34,020 –> 00:32:35,540 we esteemed him not 387 00:32:35,540 –> 00:32:38,339 Have you been disrespected? 388 00:32:38,900 –> 00:32:41,699 You have not been given the honour that was due to you? 389 00:32:43,060 –> 00:32:44,180 Think about Jesus 390 00:32:45,219 –> 00:32:48,339 We esteemed him not 391 00:32:49,300 –> 00:32:52,339 I’ve been greatly helped 392 00:32:53,219 –> 00:32:55,780 by an insight of C.H. Spurgeon 393 00:32:56,420 –> 00:32:58,979 who battled terrible depression 394 00:32:58,979 –> 00:33:00,780 amongst other things 395 00:33:00,780 –> 00:33:03,060 often during his life 396 00:33:03,060 –> 00:33:04,260 And he says this 397 00:33:05,219 –> 00:33:10,660 That the afflicted don’t look for comfort so much 398 00:33:11,380 –> 00:33:14,500 to Jesus as he will come a second time 399 00:33:14,500 –> 00:33:17,540 when He returns in power and with glory 400 00:33:17,619 –> 00:33:18,900 No, says Spurgeon 401 00:33:18,900 –> 00:33:22,260 The afflicted look for comfort first 402 00:33:22,260 –> 00:33:25,380 to Jesus as He came the first time 403 00:33:26,819 –> 00:33:27,859 A man of sorrows 404 00:33:29,219 –> 00:33:30,339 A man weary 405 00:33:31,540 –> 00:33:34,020 A man full of woes 406 00:33:35,619 –> 00:33:38,579 Now, there’s a profound insight there 407 00:33:40,420 –> 00:33:42,260 It is a marvellous thing 408 00:33:42,260 –> 00:33:44,979 to know that all will be well in heaven 409 00:33:45,540 –> 00:33:48,099 But when you really suffer 410 00:33:49,300 –> 00:33:51,380 and when you’re going through great pain 411 00:33:52,500 –> 00:33:56,099 heaven can seem a very, very long way off indeed 412 00:33:57,540 –> 00:33:59,859 And what will help you most 413 00:34:00,739 –> 00:34:02,420 in the hardest of times 414 00:34:03,699 –> 00:34:08,100 is that Jesus knows sorrow too 415 00:34:09,379 –> 00:34:10,419 He’s been there 416 00:34:11,780 –> 00:34:13,379 And because He’s been there 417 00:34:13,620 –> 00:34:17,699 He is able to walk with you 418 00:34:19,620 –> 00:34:24,179 And then here’s one more way in which we can use this very important truth 419 00:34:24,179 –> 00:34:26,979 that we’ve been learning from this remarkable verse today 420 00:34:26,979 –> 00:34:31,540 Use this to overcome the power of unbelief 421 00:34:32,260 –> 00:34:35,620 Isaiah 53 is telling us what we need to know 422 00:34:35,620 –> 00:34:39,300 in order to make a right evaluation of Jesus 423 00:34:39,860 –> 00:34:41,300 And what we need to know is that 424 00:34:41,300 –> 00:34:44,820 there is treasure in the Lord Jesus Christ 425 00:34:45,379 –> 00:34:49,459 And that this treasure that is in Christ can be yours 426 00:34:50,020 –> 00:34:55,300 Listen, Jesus offers to forgive your sins 427 00:34:56,419 –> 00:35:02,260 to save you from the ultimate judgment of God against sinners 428 00:35:02,260 –> 00:35:05,939 and to reconcile you to God as your own father 429 00:35:05,939 –> 00:35:09,300 That’s why he was pierced for our transgressions 430 00:35:10,419 –> 00:35:12,659 He was crushed for our iniquities 431 00:35:13,939 –> 00:35:22,100 and the chastisement was on him so that we would enter into peace 432 00:35:23,219 –> 00:35:28,020 He’s the one who will make many to be accounted righteous before God 433 00:35:28,020 –> 00:35:32,020 and forgiveness can be yours in and through the Lord Jesus Christ 434 00:35:32,020 –> 00:35:44,659 You felt yourself pushed to the margins Jesus wants to bring you into the family 435 00:35:44,659 –> 00:35:48,899 of which God himself is the head The Lord Jesus Christ 436 00:35:50,179 –> 00:35:52,340 wants to bring you into his own body 437 00:35:55,459 –> 00:36:00,419 He’s gathering a family of people from every background and tribe and country 438 00:36:00,419 –> 00:36:05,060 and these people will live forever as Jesus himself will live forever 439 00:36:05,060 –> 00:36:07,620 and he wants you to be one of them 440 00:36:09,620 –> 00:36:14,659 and Jesus offers that you will be able to share in his triumph 441 00:36:14,659 –> 00:36:17,939 He will divide the spoil among the strong 442 00:36:19,139 –> 00:36:23,379 I’m saying to you from this verse and from this wonderful chapter today 443 00:36:23,379 –> 00:36:28,260 there is treasure in the Lord Jesus Christ and that treasure can be yours 444 00:36:28,820 –> 00:36:33,139 if you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ 445 00:36:33,939 –> 00:36:35,540 if you will embrace him 446 00:36:36,580 –> 00:36:42,739 if you will do a new calculation based on what you learned in Isaiah 53 447 00:36:42,739 –> 00:36:44,500 about all that’s in Christ 448 00:36:44,500 –> 00:36:48,659 the treasure will be yours because Christ will be yours 449 00:36:50,820 –> 00:36:54,820 When you know the treasure that’s hidden in Jesus 450 00:36:54,820 –> 00:36:58,340 you won’t hide from him 451 00:37:00,260 –> 00:37:02,580 you won’t reject him 452 00:37:03,459 –> 00:37:04,899 you’ll look at him 453 00:37:06,500 –> 00:37:08,179 and as you look at him 454 00:37:09,780 –> 00:37:13,459 faith will be formed in you 455 00:37:14,739 –> 00:37:15,620 Let’s pray together 456 00:37:15,620 –> 00:37:25,620 Father we pray that through the entrance of your word our hearts 457 00:37:26,979 –> 00:37:35,939 may be changed and the changed hearts will lead to changed lives 458 00:37:37,540 –> 00:37:42,340 for these things we ask in jesus name amen 459 00:37:42,340 –> 00:37:47,060 You’ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 460 00:37:47,780 –> 00:38:02,260 To contact us call us at 1-877-OPEN-365. or visit our website openthebible.org