100:00:00,840 –> 00:00:09,080So here’s what happens. Your conscience gets awakened. You begin to have some200:00:09,080 –> 00:00:14,100sense that your life is not what it should be. You get some light. You realize300:00:14,100 –> 00:00:17,580for the first time that there really is a thing called sin and that it actually400:00:17,580 –> 00:00:23,240is in you. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick.500:00:23,240 –> 00:00:26,860Glad you could be with us today and Colin there may be someone listening today600:00:27,200 –> 00:00:30,900who is exactly in that position. They’re aware of sin in their life700:00:30,900 –> 00:00:35,939and they don’t like that feeling. And here’s the great irony. When that happens800:00:35,939 –> 00:00:40,540in your heart it’s actually a sign of spiritual progress. Extraordinary isn’t900:00:40,540 –> 00:00:44,500it, but when we’re far away from the Lord we don’t have very much awareness of sin.1000:00:44,500 –> 00:00:49,220When the Holy Spirit starts working in our lives and the Word of God starts1100:00:49,220 –> 00:00:54,779getting planted into our lives then there becomes this awareness of sin.1200:00:54,840 –> 00:00:58,360I’ve often had conversations with a person who says, I became a Christian1300:00:58,380 –> 00:01:02,080and I’m feeling worse about myself. I never noticed things that1400:01:02,080 –> 00:01:05,860were wrong in my life. Now I see them all over the place. A person who’s1500:01:05,860 –> 00:01:09,000not been walking with God and starts getting into the Word and starts1600:01:09,000 –> 00:01:13,860seeking the face of God – you’re going to realize how unholy you are in the light1700:01:13,860 –> 00:01:17,820of God’s holiness. You’re going to feel like, Peter, depart from me. I’m a sinful man.1800:01:17,820 –> 00:01:22,300I don’t really belong here. Guess what? That’s the very work of the Holy Spirit1900:01:22,300 –> 00:01:28,660we’re seeking. What we got to do with it is use that not to get to despair, but2000:01:28,660 –> 00:01:33,820rather to get to confession, forgiveness, progress, and all that God has in store2100:01:33,820 –> 00:01:37,900for us. He awakens the conscience in order to lead us further in the holy2200:01:37,900 –> 00:01:43,559life. So that’s what our series is all about. It’s called 180 – how God changes2300:01:43,559 –> 00:01:47,580His people and His church. Today we’re looking at the subject of repentance2400:01:47,580 –> 00:01:51,940looking in Isaiah 1. So I hope you’ll be able to join us there2500:01:51,980 –> 00:01:56,660today as we begin our message. Here’s Colin. We looked last time at the2600:01:56,660 –> 00:02:01,940remarkable words that come from the mouth of God Himself when he says in2700:02:01,940 –> 00:02:08,860verse 2 I raised children and they rebelled against me. God was of course2800:02:08,860 –> 00:02:14,380speaking to the Nation of Israel. He had made a covenant with these people. He had2900:02:14,380 –> 00:02:19,559adopted them as his own children, his own family. He blessed them. He provided for3000:02:19,660 –> 00:02:23,759them. He protected them and God says now these people, the ones who have3100:02:23,759 –> 00:02:29,119experienced my blessing in an unusual way, the ones who have received my3200:02:29,119 –> 00:02:35,880kindness, they are the ones of all people who have rebelled against me. They don’t3300:02:35,880 –> 00:02:41,119listen to me. They don’t want to know me. They don’t want me in their lives. They3400:02:41,119 –> 00:02:44,440don’t want to walk in my ways. They’re really stubborn. They are self-willed and3500:02:44,539 –> 00:02:50,860they are ungrateful,’ and then we saw last week that God describes the position of3600:02:50,860 –> 00:02:57,139these rebel children in three ways. Verse four, they are laden with iniquity. So3700:02:57,139 –> 00:03:02,460think of this great burden on their back, they’re carrying this load of iniquity.3800:03:02,460 –> 00:03:08,139Verse six, they are beaten and bruised. There’s bruises, sores, and raw wounds3900:03:08,139 –> 00:03:13,300from sole of the foot to the top of the head and then they are alone and they4000:03:13,320 –> 00:03:20,259are surrounded like a besieged city in verse eight. So here is a perfect4100:03:20,259 –> 00:03:28,000portrait we saw of the position of the sinner, our position as sinners before a4200:03:28,000 –> 00:03:33,820holy God. What’s it like? We’re laden with iniquity. We are beaten and4300:03:33,820 –> 00:03:38,619we are bruised and we are alone and we are surrounded and vulnerable to the4400:03:38,619 –> 00:03:45,000great enemy of our souls himself. That’s the portrait that we looked at last week4500:03:45,000 –> 00:03:49,839from the first part of this very important chapter in the Bible. Now today4600:03:49,839 –> 00:03:53,679we come to the obvious and the all-important question, which of course4700:03:53,679 –> 00:03:58,000is, if that is our position what can be done about it? What can we do?4800:03:58,000 –> 00:04:04,520This series is called 180, how God changes his people and his4900:04:05,020 –> 00:04:09,580church? And so the question that’s before us today is an obviously important one,5000:04:09,580 –> 00:04:15,800how can these raw wounds be healed? How can this burden of iniquity that is laid5100:04:15,800 –> 00:04:20,399on the backs of these people, how can it be lifted? How can the enemy that5200:04:20,399 –> 00:04:27,420surrounds the soul of every person be pushed back and the soul set free? What5300:04:27,420 –> 00:04:34,000can be done about this position that is laid before us here in Isaiah and5400:04:34,000 –> 00:04:37,779chapter 1? I have three headings today very simply so you know where we’re5500:04:37,779 –> 00:04:43,500going. First, I want us to look at what we try to do. What we try to do. Second5600:04:43,500 –> 00:04:50,459what we need to do, and third what only God can do. These three things, and I hope5700:04:50,459 –> 00:04:55,179you have the chapter open in front of you. Now we begin, then, with what we try5800:04:55,179 –> 00:05:01,739to do in the light of our situation, and that is the focus of verses 10 to 15.5900:05:01,739 –> 00:05:09,100What you have in these verses is really the natural reaction of the human heart6000:05:09,100 –> 00:05:15,600to an awareness of our own position before God. So here’s what happens, that6100:05:15,600 –> 00:05:21,380your conscience gets awakened, you begin to have some sense that your life is not6200:05:21,440 –> 00:05:26,339what it should be. You get some light, you realize for the first time that there6300:05:26,339 –> 00:05:31,959really is a thing called sin, and that it actually is in you. You begin to feel6400:05:31,959 –> 00:05:36,359the weight of your own iniquity, you begin to see that there are wounds and6500:05:36,359 –> 00:05:41,179there are bruises that actually you have inflicted on yourself by your own6600:05:41,179 –> 00:05:46,799sinful choices. And you say to yourself, now I have to do something about this, I6700:05:46,839 –> 00:05:54,440have to get right with God. How can I do that? Now, the default answer of the human6800:05:54,440 –> 00:06:00,940heart to that question is, worship, serve and pray.6900:06:00,940 –> 00:06:06,779That’s the default answer. And that’s exactly what these folks did. Do you see7000:06:06,779 –> 00:06:09,820it here? They come to worship, verse 12, when you7100:06:09,820 –> 00:06:15,019appear before me, so they’re coming to the temple. Verse 12, they trample through7200:06:15,140 –> 00:06:19,320God’s courts, again the reference to their coming to worship. They offer7300:06:19,339 –> 00:06:25,559service. Look what they give to God. Verse 11, a multitude of sacrifices. Verse 137400:06:25,559 –> 00:06:31,540they bring offerings. And more than that, verse 15, they pray. In fact, it says7500:06:31,540 –> 00:06:37,339there that they make many prayers, verse 15, and that they spread out their hands7600:06:37,339 –> 00:06:42,359which in the Old Testament and in the New is associated with the act of7700:06:42,660 –> 00:06:47,000praying. So, here are these people. They realize something of their position7800:06:47,000 –> 00:06:52,119and the default answer of the human heart to the question what do I need to7900:06:52,119 –> 00:06:57,040do to get right with God, is worship and serve and pray.8000:06:59,679 –> 00:07:05,480Now, the striking thing to me here is that what they do, evidently,8100:07:05,480 –> 00:07:11,359is according to the book. You see there are other places in the Bible where8200:07:11,359 –> 00:07:18,399God rebukes his people for offering to idols. But there’s no rebuke for that8300:07:18,399 –> 00:07:22,279here, these offerings are not offered to idols, these people are offering8400:07:22,279 –> 00:07:28,459offerings to God himself. There were other times in the Bible when God8500:07:28,459 –> 00:07:35,040indicted his people for offering animals that were sick and were lame.8600:07:35,040 –> 00:07:37,859There were folks who said, you know, they look at the flock,8700:07:37,859 –> 00:07:40,279that one’s sick, that one’s lame, you know they’re not going to be able8800:07:40,279 –> 00:07:43,500to be sold or have any value, so we’ll just make them offerings8900:07:43,500 –> 00:07:46,279to the Lord. And this brought offense to God, but there’s9000:07:46,279 –> 00:07:49,359no evidence of that here. In fact, the opposite, verse 11,9100:07:49,359 –> 00:07:54,440do you notice these people are bringing the fat of well-fed beasts,9200:07:54,440 –> 00:07:57,040so that caused something, they’re bringing real offerings9300:07:57,040 –> 00:08:03,160to the Lord. And these people come to the right place,9400:08:03,160 –> 00:08:07,859verse 12, they come into my courts. This was very important in the9500:08:08,559 –> 00:08:12,079Old Testament, you can check it out in Deuteronomy, in chapter 12,9600:08:12,079 –> 00:08:15,480where God says you’re not to worship in any place of your own choosing9700:08:15,480 –> 00:08:19,500but you must worship at the place where I will put my name.9800:08:19,500 –> 00:08:23,700And that was the significance, of course, of the temple in the Old Testament.9900:08:23,700 –> 00:08:26,500And there were times in the history of God’s people in the Old Testament10000:08:26,500 –> 00:08:29,540where they said why go all that way to Jerusalem, all that time10100:08:29,540 –> 00:08:34,200and all that cost, we’ll just worship in any place of our choosing.10200:08:34,200 –> 00:08:36,979And that was in contradiction to the command of God.10300:08:37,099 –> 00:08:39,719Now these people, they’re coming to God’s courts10400:08:39,719 –> 00:08:44,119and they observe the religious calendar, verse 14,10500:08:44,119 –> 00:08:45,700there’s the Sabbaths are there,10600:08:45,700 –> 00:08:48,539the feasts are there, and the festivals as well.10700:08:49,159 –> 00:08:52,219And it seems that what they’re offering is above and beyond10800:08:52,219 –> 00:08:54,299what God required in the law.10900:08:54,299 –> 00:08:57,940They brought a multitude of sacrifices, verse eleven,11000:08:57,940 –> 00:09:03,520and they even added specially called convocations in verse thirteen,11100:09:03,820 –> 00:09:06,299special times where we all gather together11200:09:06,299 –> 00:09:09,260and present ourselves in the presence of the Lord.11300:09:09,260 –> 00:09:12,739And when it comes to prayer it says here that in verse 1511400:09:12,739 –> 00:09:15,940they made many prayers, many prayers.11500:09:16,700 –> 00:09:18,700And that these prayers were intense,11600:09:18,700 –> 00:09:21,599that’s surely the significance of the spreading out of the hands,11700:09:21,599 –> 00:09:26,599there’s the calling upon God with great passion and great fervency.11800:09:29,000 –> 00:09:33,000Now I’m saying to you today from the Bible11900:09:33,080 –> 00:09:38,080that the natural response of the human heart12000:09:38,179 –> 00:09:41,200to an awareness of our own sin12100:09:41,200 –> 00:09:44,200is to seek to offer something to God.12200:09:45,200 –> 00:09:49,219I see that I’m not as I should be so what am I going to do?12300:09:49,219 –> 00:09:51,559I must do something to make it right,12400:09:51,559 –> 00:09:53,599what can I do, what will please God,12500:09:53,599 –> 00:09:58,599I must worship, I must serve and I will pray.12600:09:59,599 –> 00:10:03,020Have you ever asked the question12700:10:03,020 –> 00:10:07,179why is the world so full of religion?12800:10:07,179 –> 00:10:10,059Why is it that every country you can visit,12900:10:10,059 –> 00:10:11,919every culture you can ever go to,13000:10:11,919 –> 00:10:14,359there is religion all over the place13100:10:14,359 –> 00:10:16,799of one brand or another?13200:10:16,799 –> 00:10:21,080What is it that gives rise to Islam?13300:10:21,080 –> 00:10:24,179What is it that gives rise to Buddhism?13400:10:24,179 –> 00:10:26,940What is the hunger in the human heart13500:10:27,039 –> 00:10:29,919that would cause massive millions and millions of people13600:10:29,919 –> 00:10:31,479to be following Hinduism?13700:10:33,320 –> 00:10:34,679What is it that makes a person13800:10:34,679 –> 00:10:37,320who has stopped coming to church13900:10:37,320 –> 00:10:39,919slip into the back if you can find a seat?14000:10:40,679 –> 00:10:42,000What is it?14100:10:43,359 –> 00:10:46,559It’s the sense that lies deep in the human heart14200:10:46,559 –> 00:10:49,760that we’re not really right with God14300:10:49,760 –> 00:10:52,020and that we need to do something about it.14400:10:53,000 –> 00:10:55,119And the first instinct of the human heart,14500:10:55,119 –> 00:10:56,760and this goes across all cultures,14600:10:56,780 –> 00:10:58,539across all histories, everywhere in the world,14700:10:58,539 –> 00:10:59,419it is universal.14800:10:59,419 –> 00:11:01,659The first instinct of the human heart14900:11:01,659 –> 00:11:06,659is to attempt this by worshipping, serving, and praying.15000:11:07,080 –> 00:11:08,039And you go anywhere in the world,15100:11:08,039 –> 00:11:11,359you’ll see this in one variety or another.15200:11:11,359 –> 00:11:12,739You’re listening to Open the Bible15300:11:12,739 –> 00:11:14,119with Pastor Colin Smith15400:11:14,119 –> 00:11:15,940and a message called Repentance.15500:11:15,940 –> 00:11:17,559Part of our series,15600:11:17,559 –> 00:11:21,440180, How God Changes His People and His Church.15700:11:21,440 –> 00:11:23,000And if you ever miss one of our messages,15800:11:23,000 –> 00:11:26,159you can always catch up or go back and listen again online,15900:11:26,260 –> 00:11:29,840come to our website, openthebible.org.uk,16000:11:29,840 –> 00:11:31,479and there you’ll find all the messages16100:11:31,479 –> 00:11:33,219which have already been broadcast.16200:11:33,219 –> 00:11:35,159And you can also find them as a podcast16300:11:35,159 –> 00:11:36,799if that’s a better way for you to keep up16400:11:36,799 –> 00:11:38,320with Pastor Colin’s teaching.16500:11:38,320 –> 00:11:40,719And those are on all the main podcast sites,16600:11:40,719 –> 00:11:43,960search under Open the Bible UK.16700:11:43,960 –> 00:11:45,239Back to the message now.16800:11:45,239 –> 00:11:48,200We’re in Isaiah chapter one, here’s Colin.16900:11:48,200 –> 00:11:52,159The default answer of the human heart to the question,17000:11:52,159 –> 00:11:54,840what do I need to do to get right with God,17100:11:54,840 –> 00:11:58,299is worship and serve and pray.17200:12:00,119 –> 00:12:02,719Now here’s the problem, and here’s where I want us17300:12:02,719 –> 00:12:04,520to place ourselves under the Bible17400:12:04,520 –> 00:12:09,380and let God himself speak into our lives on this matter.17500:12:09,380 –> 00:12:12,679Here’s the problem, it is quite clear from these verses17600:12:12,679 –> 00:12:16,280that God is not impressed with this17700:12:16,280 –> 00:12:18,799worship, serving, and praying.17800:12:18,799 –> 00:12:20,359He doesn’t like it.17900:12:21,419 –> 00:12:23,320He’s not moved by it.18000:12:23,380 –> 00:12:25,919Just look at what he says, verse 13.18100:12:25,919 –> 00:12:29,520The offerings he describes as vain,18200:12:29,520 –> 00:12:31,039they are vain offerings.18300:12:31,919 –> 00:12:35,440Verse 11, God is not pleased with these sacrifices.18400:12:35,440 –> 00:12:37,799He says, I do not delight in them.18500:12:39,020 –> 00:12:41,280Verse 15, there’s all these prayers and God says,18600:12:41,280 –> 00:12:44,679I will not listen to these prayers.18700:12:45,679 –> 00:12:47,559So now think in this, there’s all this worship,18800:12:47,559 –> 00:12:49,559all this serving, all this praying18900:12:49,559 –> 00:12:51,020that’s going on with these people19000:12:51,020 –> 00:12:54,599who are laden with iniquity, and it’s quite ineffective.19100:12:55,640 –> 00:12:58,099Worse still, not only is it ineffective,19200:12:58,099 –> 00:13:00,280it doesn’t achieve its intended outcome.19300:13:00,280 –> 00:13:01,900It’s actually offensive.19400:13:01,900 –> 00:13:03,400It’s offensive to God.19500:13:03,400 –> 00:13:05,059Verse 13, look at what he says.19600:13:05,059 –> 00:13:08,059God calls their offerings an abomination.19700:13:08,059 –> 00:13:09,859Wow, that’s some word.19800:13:10,900 –> 00:13:15,900Verse 14, we learned that God hates their appointed feasts.19900:13:16,799 –> 00:13:21,380Verse 14, that he is weary of their festivals20000:13:21,380 –> 00:13:24,799and that they have become a burden to him.20100:13:26,760 –> 00:13:30,640So far from making things better,20200:13:30,640 –> 00:13:33,080all this worship and serving and praying20300:13:33,080 –> 00:13:35,960is actually in this situation adding20400:13:35,960 –> 00:13:38,320to the offenses of these people before God.20500:13:38,320 –> 00:13:40,239It’s actually alienating God even more.20600:13:40,239 –> 00:13:44,000It’s actually making their position worse.20700:13:44,000 –> 00:13:45,380That’s just what it says.20800:13:46,700 –> 00:13:49,640Now obviously that raises this question.20900:13:49,640 –> 00:13:51,559Well, I mean, how can this be?21000:13:51,559 –> 00:13:53,919Does God not want us to worship?21100:13:53,919 –> 00:13:55,659Does God not want us to serve21200:13:55,659 –> 00:13:58,159and does not God want us to pray?21300:13:58,159 –> 00:13:59,599Yes, of course he does.21400:13:59,599 –> 00:14:01,840Well, what then, is the problem?21500:14:01,840 –> 00:14:03,479And here’s the problem.21600:14:03,479 –> 00:14:08,479Verse 15, your hands are full of blood.21700:14:08,520 –> 00:14:10,719That’s a problem.21800:14:10,719 –> 00:14:13,020You come to worship and serve and pray21900:14:13,020 –> 00:14:15,119but your hands are full of blood.22000:14:15,539 –> 00:14:17,719There’s sin in your life.22100:14:19,260 –> 00:14:21,659Or to put it another way in verse 13,22200:14:21,659 –> 00:14:23,679I cannot endure.22300:14:23,679 –> 00:14:26,359Here’s what God cannot endure, verse 13.22400:14:26,359 –> 00:14:29,080Iniquity and solemn assembly.22500:14:30,659 –> 00:14:34,219Here you are, you’re coming into my courts to worship22600:14:34,219 –> 00:14:36,400and you’re coming to the church to serve22700:14:36,400 –> 00:14:38,119and you’re coming to pray22800:14:38,119 –> 00:14:39,599and you’ve joined a group to do this.22900:14:39,599 –> 00:14:42,719But here’s the problem, you’re laden with iniquity.23000:14:42,719 –> 00:14:43,960That’s the problem.23100:14:45,760 –> 00:14:48,900And friends, worship, service23200:14:48,900 –> 00:14:53,900and prayer can never atone for our sin.23300:14:53,940 –> 00:14:56,960It just can’t, it won’t.23400:14:56,960 –> 00:14:59,219And that’s the whole point of this passage from the Bible23500:14:59,219 –> 00:15:01,099that’s open before us today.23600:15:02,119 –> 00:15:05,900And our root problem of course is that we love ourselves23700:15:05,900 –> 00:15:06,880more than we love God,23800:15:06,880 –> 00:15:09,359we love ourselves more than we love others,23900:15:09,359 –> 00:15:14,280that manifests itself in all kinds of sins in our lives.24000:15:15,559 –> 00:15:19,359It manifests itself in your impatience, pride.24100:15:22,200 –> 00:15:24,820It manifests itself in a critical spirit,24200:15:24,820 –> 00:15:27,039it manifests itself in greed.24300:15:28,640 –> 00:15:33,280It manifests itself in lust, in ingratitude.24400:15:34,539 –> 00:15:38,799Manifests itself in a continued discontent, never happy.24500:15:39,640 –> 00:15:41,179Come to worship,24600:15:42,520 –> 00:15:44,000come to serve,24700:15:45,080 –> 00:15:47,059lift up your hands in prayer.24800:15:49,140 –> 00:15:52,520And God says I can’t endure this iniquity24900:15:52,520 –> 00:15:55,380and solemn assembly all being mixed up together.25000:15:57,479 –> 00:15:59,859And here’s the issue at the heart of it25100:15:59,859 –> 00:16:02,080that worship, serving, and prayer25200:16:02,080 –> 00:16:04,320can never atone for sin.25300:16:04,320 –> 00:16:05,760It doesn’t deal with sin.25400:16:05,760 –> 00:16:06,599It just doesn’t.25500:16:06,739 –> 00:16:07,580It just doesn’t.25600:16:08,919 –> 00:16:11,200If it did we could save ourselves25700:16:11,200 –> 00:16:12,859and the whole world would save itself25800:16:12,859 –> 00:16:15,099by worship and by serving and by praying.25900:16:15,099 –> 00:16:16,640And folks please understand26000:16:16,640 –> 00:16:19,460that is what more than half of the world believes.26100:16:19,460 –> 00:16:21,640More than half of the world believes26200:16:21,640 –> 00:16:23,520that we save ourselves by worshiping26300:16:23,520 –> 00:16:24,400and serving and praying.26400:16:24,400 –> 00:16:25,880That’s why religion is all over the world.26500:16:25,880 –> 00:16:27,359That’s what gives rise to it.26600:16:29,419 –> 00:16:31,080But it is not what we find here.26700:16:32,719 –> 00:16:36,159What we find here is the utter futility26800:16:36,799 –> 00:16:39,440of our best efforts to deal with the problem26900:16:39,440 –> 00:16:41,539of our own sin.27000:16:42,760 –> 00:16:45,479What we try to do and it doesn’t work.27100:16:47,320 –> 00:16:49,919And God is not reconciled and God is not pleased.27200:16:49,919 –> 00:16:53,179God, our sins are not dealt with27300:16:53,179 –> 00:16:57,640by worshiping, serving and praying.27400:16:57,640 –> 00:17:00,539Second, what we need to do,27500:17:00,539 –> 00:17:01,919look to what we try to do.27600:17:01,919 –> 00:17:03,840The instinctive response of the human heart27700:17:03,840 –> 00:17:05,199to our predicament27800:17:05,199 –> 00:17:06,020is the second thing.27900:17:06,020 –> 00:17:07,540What we need to do.28000:17:07,540 –> 00:17:10,199Look at what God says in verse 16 and 17.28100:17:11,160 –> 00:17:14,040Wash yourselves, that’s what you need to do.28200:17:15,339 –> 00:17:17,819Make yourselves clean.28300:17:19,579 –> 00:17:24,439Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes.28400:17:25,900 –> 00:17:30,900Cease to do evil and learn to do good.28500:17:33,300 –> 00:17:34,459There you see what God is saying.28600:17:34,459 –> 00:17:35,520It’s very clear isn’t it,28700:17:35,520 –> 00:17:38,079when you open the Bible and look at it in front of you,28800:17:38,079 –> 00:17:40,579God is saying if you really want to worship28900:17:40,579 –> 00:17:43,819and serve and pray, here is what you have to do first.29000:17:43,819 –> 00:17:46,160You have to wash, you have to cease,29100:17:46,160 –> 00:17:47,079and you have to learn.29200:17:47,079 –> 00:17:49,219These are the three words.29300:17:49,219 –> 00:17:50,739Wash, cease, and learn.29400:17:52,260 –> 00:17:56,199God never changes and his pattern29500:17:56,199 –> 00:17:58,939of working in the Old Testament29600:17:58,939 –> 00:18:03,939is really the same as his pattern of working in the New.29700:18:04,280 –> 00:18:05,119And here it is.29800:18:05,119 –> 00:18:07,599Let me just give it to you in three simple statements.29900:18:07,599 –> 00:18:11,739First, God redeems people for himself.30000:18:12,699 –> 00:18:16,060Second, the people he redeems30100:18:16,060 –> 00:18:20,180commit themselves to lives of obedience.30200:18:20,180 –> 00:18:24,319Third, God gives them recourse to his mercy30300:18:24,319 –> 00:18:28,199through the sacrifices for our many failures30400:18:28,199 –> 00:18:31,180in the course of our pursuing obedience.30500:18:31,180 –> 00:18:33,579Now that’s the pattern that you find in the Old Testament30600:18:33,619 –> 00:18:36,000and it’s the pattern that we still find in the New.30700:18:36,000 –> 00:18:38,520In the Old Testament, it’s the Exodus first,30800:18:38,520 –> 00:18:39,699then the giving of the law,30900:18:39,699 –> 00:18:42,020and God’s people bind themselves to it.31000:18:42,020 –> 00:18:44,579You will be our God, we will be your people.31100:18:44,579 –> 00:18:46,819We commit ourselves to walk in the ways of your law,31200:18:46,819 –> 00:18:48,699and then God gives them the sacrifices31300:18:48,699 –> 00:18:51,699so that they have recourse to his mercy.31400:18:51,699 –> 00:18:52,660That’s the pattern.31500:18:52,660 –> 00:18:56,500Redeemed people committed to obedience given sacrifices31600:18:56,500 –> 00:18:58,979which we need to recourse to God’s mercy31700:18:58,979 –> 00:19:00,780on account of our many failures.31800:19:00,780 –> 00:19:04,219But by the time you get to the days of Isaiah,31900:19:04,219 –> 00:19:08,219here you have people using the sacrifices32000:19:08,219 –> 00:19:10,839without any commitment to obedience.32100:19:12,459 –> 00:19:16,000They had what Al-Akmater calls32200:19:16,000 –> 00:19:19,939religious commitment without ethical resolve.32300:19:21,319 –> 00:19:26,319Religious commitment without ethical resolve.32400:19:26,819 –> 00:19:30,219I want to worship, I want to serve, I want to pray,32500:19:30,219 –> 00:19:34,660but then I want the freedom to be able to give latitude32600:19:34,660 –> 00:19:38,420to choices that I make that will be pleasing to me32700:19:38,420 –> 00:19:42,239irrespective of whether they are pleasing to God.32800:19:43,180 –> 00:19:46,140And God is saying quite clearly here that it doesn’t work.32900:19:47,020 –> 00:19:47,979Here’s what you have to do.33000:19:47,979 –> 00:19:51,000You have to wash yourselves and make yourselves clean.33100:19:52,099 –> 00:19:54,560Now again, this is not a sort of isolated thing33200:19:54,560 –> 00:19:56,020in Isaiah chapter one.33300:19:56,020 –> 00:19:59,119It’s a theme that runs all the way through the Bible.33400:19:59,119 –> 00:20:03,439Psalm 24, some of you will know these words from the Psalms33500:20:03,439 –> 00:20:04,599and they’re about worship.33600:20:04,599 –> 00:20:06,479What does it mean to come to God and worship33700:20:06,479 –> 00:20:08,479and how can we do that?33800:20:08,479 –> 00:20:12,199Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord33900:20:12,199 –> 00:20:16,280and who shall stand in his holy place?34000:20:16,280 –> 00:20:18,739Who is the one who is able to worship God acceptably?34100:20:18,739 –> 00:20:19,719Here’s the answer.34200:20:19,719 –> 00:20:22,959He who has clean hands34300:20:24,160 –> 00:20:26,739and a pure heart.34400:20:27,239 –> 00:20:29,439You see what’s being said?34500:20:29,439 –> 00:20:31,199If you want to worship God,34600:20:31,199 –> 00:20:32,640you’re gonna have to have clean hands,34700:20:32,640 –> 00:20:35,079you’re gonna have to have a pure heart34800:20:35,079 –> 00:20:36,920and the problem is that these people34900:20:36,920 –> 00:20:38,500to whom Isaiah is speaking,35000:20:38,500 –> 00:20:40,119when they come into the presence of God,35100:20:40,119 –> 00:20:41,680their hands are full of blood.35200:20:41,680 –> 00:20:43,819Extraordinary statement.35300:20:43,819 –> 00:20:45,880When they come into the presence of God,35400:20:45,880 –> 00:20:47,099they spread out their hands35500:20:47,099 –> 00:20:49,479and all that they’re doing is bringing into his sight35600:20:49,479 –> 00:20:54,459as it were the wretchedness of their own condition.35700:20:55,359 –> 00:20:56,640A display of their own sin35800:20:56,640 –> 00:20:59,199and God says you must cease to do evil.35900:21:00,359 –> 00:21:02,599You must learn to do what is good36000:21:04,280 –> 00:21:07,239and he gives some specific examples36100:21:07,239 –> 00:21:09,300of the good that we must learn.36200:21:10,420 –> 00:21:14,180The examples are these, seek justice,36300:21:14,180 –> 00:21:17,140correct oppression, verse 17.36400:21:17,140 –> 00:21:19,880Bring justice to the fatherless.36500:21:21,260 –> 00:21:23,420Plead the widow’s cause.36600:21:24,339 –> 00:21:27,040Why does Isaiah choose these examples?36700:21:27,040 –> 00:21:28,819Two reasons.36800:21:28,819 –> 00:21:30,140One,36900:21:30,140 –> 00:21:33,459because evidently they were things that were not being done37000:21:35,099 –> 00:21:35,939and two,37100:21:35,939 –> 00:21:39,739because they involve serving people37200:21:39,739 –> 00:21:42,939who are not in a position to give back to you37300:21:44,420 –> 00:21:46,260and that is the heart of love37400:21:47,339 –> 00:21:50,380which is the heart of God’s law37500:21:50,380 –> 00:21:52,260and the life to which he is calling37600:21:52,339 –> 00:21:53,979each and everyone of us today.37700:21:56,400 –> 00:21:58,619We have to pause the message there for today37800:21:58,619 –> 00:22:00,660and I hope you’ll be able to join us tomorrow37900:22:00,660 –> 00:22:02,780for the next part of that message.38000:22:02,780 –> 00:22:04,260The message is called, Repentance38100:22:04,260 –> 00:22:05,500and it’s part of our series,38200:22:05,500 –> 00:22:09,140180 How God Changes His People and His Church38300:22:09,140 –> 00:22:10,819and if you ever miss one of the series,38400:22:10,819 –> 00:22:13,579please come and join us at our website.38500:22:13,579 –> 00:22:16,099Openthebible.org.uk38600:22:16,099 –> 00:22:18,060and there you’ll find all the messages38700:22:18,060 –> 00:22:20,560that were already gone out on air.38800:22:20,560 –> 00:22:23,760Now I wonder what plans you may have for Easter?38900:22:23,760 –> 00:22:25,400At open the Bible, we have something39000:22:25,400 –> 00:22:28,459that might be of interest to you and your church.39100:22:28,459 –> 00:22:31,160We filmed a one-actor, one-hour performance39200:22:31,160 –> 00:22:34,599of Colin’s well-known book, Heaven, How I Got Here,39300:22:34,599 –> 00:22:36,780The Story of the Thief on the Cross.39400:22:36,780 –> 00:22:38,880It’s a powerful gospel message39500:22:38,880 –> 00:22:42,380and we’re making the film available to you for free.39600:22:42,380 –> 00:22:45,140If your church wants to show the film this Easter,39700:22:45,140 –> 00:22:48,199we have created a free resource pack to help you.39800:22:48,280 –> 00:22:53,140To find out more, go to open thebible.org.uk.39900:22:53,140 –> 00:22:54,239Also on our website,40000:22:54,239 –> 00:22:56,680don’t forget about Open the Bible Daily.40100:22:56,680 –> 00:22:59,560That’s a series of two to three minute reflections,40200:22:59,560 –> 00:23:02,920a new one every day based on pastor Colin’s teaching40300:23:02,920 –> 00:23:05,319and read in the UK by Sue McClease.40400:23:05,319 –> 00:23:07,420Open the Bible Daily is on our website40500:23:07,420 –> 00:23:09,839and also available as a podcast.40600:23:09,839 –> 00:23:12,640Open the Bible is supported by our listeners40700:23:12,640 –> 00:23:14,560and this month if you’re able to begin40800:23:14,560 –> 00:23:17,680a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible40900:23:17,719 –> 00:23:20,459in the amount of five pounds per month or more41000:23:20,459 –> 00:23:23,280or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more,41100:23:23,280 –> 00:23:25,680we’d love to send you three copies41200:23:25,680 –> 00:23:28,119of Pastor Colin’s devotional book,41300:23:28,119 –> 00:23:30,680”Green Pastures Still Waters.’41400:23:30,680 –> 00:23:33,040It’s based on Psalm 23.41500:23:33,040 –> 00:23:35,839And I asked Open the Bible’s Amanda Cunningham41600:23:35,839 –> 00:23:38,359how we might be blessed by reading this book.41700:23:38,359 –> 00:23:39,599Thanks David.41800:23:39,599 –> 00:23:41,660As I’m sure our listeners would agree,41900:23:41,660 –> 00:23:44,920the cold, dark days of January and February42000:23:44,939 –> 00:23:48,300can often feel like a hard slog.42100:23:48,300 –> 00:23:51,020And if you are already facing struggles in your life42200:23:51,020 –> 00:23:53,439then it can be particularly hard.42300:23:53,439 –> 00:23:56,459That’s why we hope that our February book offer,42400:23:56,459 –> 00:23:59,819”Green Pastures Still Waters’ by Colin Smith42500:23:59,819 –> 00:24:02,280will be a real encouragement to you.42600:24:02,280 –> 00:24:05,959The 31 day devotion in Psalm 2342700:24:05,959 –> 00:24:08,520reminds us that we don’t have to navigate42800:24:08,520 –> 00:24:10,699dark valleys on our own.42900:24:10,699 –> 00:24:13,760There is a good shepard who is ready to lead us,43000:24:13,760 –> 00:24:17,000protect us and walk with us.’43100:24:17,000 –> 00:24:18,420And actually David, we’re giving away43200:24:18,420 –> 00:24:20,140three copies of the book,43300:24:20,140 –> 00:24:22,540so do be praying about whether there is someone43400:24:22,540 –> 00:24:24,119that you could give a copy to43500:24:24,119 –> 00:24:27,160who might also need that encouragement.43600:24:27,160 –> 00:24:29,339Indeed if you find the book helpful,43700:24:29,339 –> 00:24:31,660why not get in touch and let me know,43800:24:31,660 –> 00:24:33,540I would love to hear from you.43900:24:33,540 –> 00:24:36,300You can contact me at hello,44000:24:36,300 –> 00:24:40,339at open the Bible, .org, .uk44100:24:40,339 –> 00:24:42,300So three copies of that book,44200:24:42,339 –> 00:24:45,839Green Pastures Still Waters by pastor Colin Smith44300:24:45,839 –> 00:24:47,219are our gift to you,44400:24:47,219 –> 00:24:49,420if you’re able to set up a new direct debit44500:24:49,420 –> 00:24:51,079to the work of open the Bible44600:24:51,079 –> 00:24:53,880in the amount of five pounds per month or more,44700:24:53,880 –> 00:24:56,979or a one-off gift of 50 pounds or more.44800:24:56,979 –> 00:25:00,280Full details, terms, and conditions are on our website.44900:25:00,280 –> 00:25:04,520That’s at open the Bible,.org.uk45000:25:04,520 –> 00:25:07,099For open the Bible, and for pastor Colin Smith,45100:25:07,099 –> 00:25:08,400I’m David Pick.45200:25:08,400 –> 00:25:10,699And I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time.45300:25:11,300 –> 00:25:14,400Open the Bible45400:25:15,300 –> 00:25:17,260More than half the people in the world today45500:25:17,260 –> 00:25:19,079believe we can save ourselves45600:25:19,079 –> 00:25:22,079by worship, service, and prayer.45700:25:22,079 –> 00:25:24,180Find out what God says about this45800:25:24,180 –> 00:25:26,280Next time on Open the Bible