Download... June 12, 2011. Sunday Morning Service. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: ISAIAH 62:1-12
1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.
We want to lift up a standard for Jerusalem/ Zion’s sake, for the sake also of soul’s all around us. ...Until the brightness of His righteousness goes forth as a lamp of Salvation that burneth!
Verse 11 His plan for mankind is finished. He can, ..if we allow Him, ..to perfect a work within you and I. Bro D Goble had been reading “the canon” about that which is not often clear, but from it’s information, we can say it is somewhat finished. Not all,.. because it is only finished when all the earth knows the gospel,..when it is fully proclaimed, and extended to all souls.
Some things might,.. or would challenge us to not proclaim the gospel,..but to be quiet while being entertained,..etc. But for the sake of souls including Zion,..God’s ministry will not hold their peace,..they will not rest!
There is a time to be quiet,..a time to shout, a time to mourn, a time to praise, a time to live and to die. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and A time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Some would or might say we don’t have a right to proclaim the gospel,..but God has give us that inheritance for which we cannot hold our peace about. He compels us to proclaim it the standard of holiness He has given us. The world over,.. humanity needs redemption because of the world’s vast spiritual darkness. Think on these things...Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. There’s a reason this scripture was given to us. If through a holy mediation we did not obediently lift up God’s holy standard and proclaim it …..the gospel message would be “quieted.”
There will until the end time, be much in the way of buffeting our efforts to lift up God’ standard, ...to silence us. But we must not, ...will not be quiet. It would be easy though, if not careful, to let the darkness envelope,.. and silence us. One thing is true,..bad news sells! Good news,..not so much. 24/7 news cycles which is an every moment of everyday, ..something is happening! It sells for conservatives, ...as well as liberals. Though bad news sells,..but is not always the state of affairs,..all the time, everywhere. Some that are "always listening to it," would seemingly be aware of it, before those of the area in subject, had even heard of it! This is not to suggest the world is not getting worse and progressively darker. It is needful to remember though that God has good news to balance our reality. Otherwise depression would dominate. But God is still in control! For Zion’s sake,..will I not hold my peace,... (Isaiah 62:1) Don’t become a “mouthpiece” for bad news. Goodness still exists,..decreasing as it is. We still hear or read about “random acts of kindness.” The world needs to hear about that and especially of redemption. There is still in the heart of man, a need and desire to know God,..a sort of a “Spiritual connection or DNA,” that God plants within the soul of each person to show their need of Him.
An example was given of Sis Helene showing Bro Dave Goble and informing him about how poppy seeds lie in the soil, dormant for a period of time. How then at an appropriate time of year, they having germinated, become ready to pop out in their blossoming. And so it is likewise with other plant forms. Similarly with mankind the awareness of their need spiritually,. within their soul,.. germinates into accountability. Even Zion can be affected by the spiritual darkness buffeting around, to get focus off Christ! We do need to be aware of opposition,... but don’t stop praying hard with full faith in God’s power of deliverance. When one stops showing faith in God’s power it does not stop diminish God’s power,.. to others who faithfully uphold His standard. It requires someone though, to remain faithful to help germinate souls to seek Christ. If you give up on prayer, there is nothing left! You in your humanity, can not bring or fulfill the help for the spiritual needs of others. But,..God is still God! He can make a way! Isaiah felt like he was the only one,..but for Zion’s sake he was determined to not “hold his peace.” All that do stop from holding up God’s holy standard,..will grow spiritually cold unto spiritual death.
Bro Goble also shared the example of thermal imaging as a good temperature gage within walls of buildings. If you focus on it you will see the red... “cool” down eventually to blue. Likewise a lively hot temperature in God can cool down to a deathly temperature spiritually. Lost souls crave to see the power of God for their Salvation. Thank God for the prophet Isaiah,..”For Zion’s sake,..I will not hold my peace,”.... (again, verse 1 of 62nd chapter) We live in a time when people are pressed to hold their peace about God’s standard. The enemy is working against the saints. The enemy already has the lost, ..unsaved souls,...so is working on God’s children.
I Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? Judgment must be begin in God’s children,..The House of God. If Zion is judged, ...what is to happen to the disobedient?
Isaiah 62:10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. All must go through the gates of judgment to have a standard of God’s holiness. All who did not comply would be thrown out. It was the examination to determine if admittance would be allowed. Allow the judgment gates to raise you to God’s standard! You can’t go into the city unless you go through the gates. It is a must to submit oneself to the judgment of the gospel,..the only entrance into His city! “Prepare ye the way of the people,...”(Isaiah 62:10b) God has set a “watchman” who will not rest day or night until Jerusalem was in it’s proper place (Isaiah 62:6,7) 6“ I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,” 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth...likewise our peace is found when God’s people are established from the watchmen holding up today a standard of holiness.
Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Why do people, (religious included), have a problem of continuing on in sin, by choice? We are commanded to depart from evil,..the only way to preserve our soul! Proverbs 16:6,17 16 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. We need the judgment to make our way straight, and for a highway of holiness as a standard lifted up for God’s people,.. and to reach out to the lost. This world is as a spiritual desert, within a wilderness, needing a straight path made for a standard of holiness for Salvation of souls. The “sandiness” of desert conditions will destroy lives without a spiritual highway being maintained.
Bro Goble used the illustration of volunteers being used in a state landmark parks. Volunteers generally are put to work on the trails so people will have a clear path,..otherwise those paths become overgrown into invisibility. Spiritually also without building,..preparing the way of the people, there will be no standard lifted up for the redemption of souls from sin. Get rid of hindrances, (stones),...gather them out. Then God’s holy city can be seen built up again. Again,..Isaiah 62:10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Stones are all those things that impede spiritual progress,.. discouragement, bitterness, bad attitudes, etc.
Bro Goble shared how as a child, he wanted to earn money, and did so by working for a woman in his neighborhood. She wanted all the stones gathered out of her back yard or property behind her home to prepare it for the building of a barn. She paid him 10 cents an hour. He filled wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, over and again. Finally he had to quit, since there seemed to be an endless never ending conclusion to the job,...still after weeks. He had began to think (as a child..lol) that maybe the stones kept on until,.. China. So when there was no visible progress, he stopped the fruitless, and hopelessness of this job. Spiritually though,.. God will bless our sincere efforts to diligently gather out the “stones” of our life,.. that we recognize as hindrances to having a holy standard lifted up for His glory. In doing so, we will gain spiritual strength, until you rid yourself of those large hindering spiritual stones, to enable yourself to lift up a holy standard for other souls,..to see God’s way from afar off,..to know where His people are assembled.
Isaiah 5:26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: This is our promise that God will provide a visible way for all those outside,.. to “see” the way of the lifted up standard. Isaiah 11:12 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; The ensign is here shown as the fear of God including His wisdom, understanding, counsel, spiritual knowledge and might. Isaiah 18:3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. The ensigns, the gospel trumpet blowing,.. are the landmarks to lead souls to spiritual life. Jeremiah 4:6,5 6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. God wants us to gather,..lifting up His standard for other souls. Jeremiah 4:21,22 21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. The foolish are those who do not listen to the gospel trumpet’s wisdom, never truly knowing God, rather choosing their evil in their “vain understanding.”
Psalms 60:4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. , Numbers 21:6-9 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Christ lifted up will draw souls to many people being “bitten” the enemy of their souls. Christ the banner lifted up is the only Salvation from the serpent of sin which mesmerizes, and slays spiritually. God has a remedy for it,..to look for the ensign banner set up for the Salvation of all souls. He took the the serpent of sin, and nailed it to His cross, for us to realize our spiritual deliverance.
We need to always focus on Christ our standard, to get and keep continual victory. The standard is Christ who calls us to “Jerusalem.” If the standard is taken down, when and where will the people find help? Christ is the banner which must be lifted and kept up, for an ensign for our soul. His banner is Holiness. which will draw all men unto Him. We need to press not “hibernating” in side of our private “cocoon,” away from the opposition. Again, Isaiah 62:1,.. we need to cry out and lift up God’s standard of holiness as the true Church of God. Christ the standard for all, ..will keep the 99 of the flock that way, will draw back that one who strays, draw on the backslider, and finally any and all sinners that will look to Him.
A historical and non spiritual example of a Christian banner being held high while defeating the enemy, can be found regarding Constantine the Great, as he successfully fought for religious tolerance around approximately the year 313. This is a spiritual example to us as well as temporal, to hold high a standard for the people. Holding high the standard of holiness is Satan’s greatest fear in his campaign for possession of souls. Satan only fears the standard of Christ! Some would mistakenly make their spiritual association based with an agreement with one another, instead of the only deliverance ,..the banner and standard of Christ. Are you gathering to the banner of Christ? Too many proclaim holiness in God’s church as a problem. It will ultimately define their standard of non victory over sin. The standard of Christ,.. only,.. will heal those bitten by the serpent of sin.
Our flag,..our banner or standard,.. is still Christ. May God help us to assemble and be that heavenly city as a banner and standard for lost souls.
