Isaiah 46: The Royal Rumble

Transcript

God vs Idols

Speaker 1 0:00

Well , everybody , welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host , pastor Brandon , today , isaiah , chapter 46 , we're going to call today the Royal Rumble Royal Rumble . Hopefully this will make sense in just a moment . Once again , this is Pastor Brandon and the way his brain works . But before we get into all of that , if you like what we're doing here , make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel . You leave us comments , you like it , all the things . Also , make sure you are liking and subscribing and all that to the podcast . Leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you're going to the Bible breakdown discussion , because the more we dig , the more we find .

Speaker 1 0:34

If you have your Bible , want to open up with me to Isaiah , chapter 46 . While you're doing that , I want to remind you that Isaiah is about the whole theme is God , our salvation , right ? And this is the way this works out in my life , in my mind , rather , because what you're going to see is is you've almost got God versus these idols . That is constantly being battled in the book of Isaiah . Just because we think of the nation of Israel as God's chosen people , it doesn't mean that everybody was serving God right . That's quite the reason why . It's quite the opposite . It's why Isaiah wrote this , because people are not serving God . They're serving all these idols , and there's this constant battle of the Israelites are you going to trust in these idols , which they would have gotten from the neighboring nations ? So are you going to follow the culture and what they're worshiping , or are you going to follow God and where he's leading you to go ? And that immediately puts it in our modern context , right . And so you see this battle back and forth , and it's not really a battle . God's truly the winner , but it doesn't always look that way , right , and what it reminds me of is when I was a kid .

Speaker 1 1:43

I haven't been into this for a long time . When I was a kid , there were these two World Wrestling Federations . It was WWF World Wrestling Federation and WCW Wrestling Championship , something . I don't know what it was , but one of them had this recurring event called the Royal Rumble , and what it was supposed to be is there's always some champion fighting against somebody else , and it was this big , epic battle , and as a kid I was like , oh man , who's going to win this battle ? I don't know who's going to win this battle . It's going to be crazy . You know this kind of stuff . And it wasn't until I got older when I was like , wait a minute , this is not a battle . They have planned this . One of these guys is clearly already going to win .

Speaker 1 2:25

And when I was reading this I was like , wait a minute , this is God saying this is not really a battle , like I'm real and they're not . So it's really like are you going to go with what's real or are you going to not ? But it's not really like who's bigger and what we're going to is is so very pertinent , so very relevant to what we deal with , because all the things that we find ourselves chasing a lot of times we know they don't satisfy , but it's easier because we can control those things , when , rather , turning to God means we have to release control and let Him lead . But it's not really a contest . We know what's better . It's just hard sometimes . We're going to see if we can find that in today's passage , so if you're ready , isaiah , chapter 46 , verse 1 , says this Bel and Nebo , the gods of Babylon , bow as they are lowered to the ground .

Speaker 1 3:19

They are being hauled away on ox carts . The poor beasts stagger under the weight . Both the idols and their owners are bowed down . The gods cannot protect the people . The people cannot protect the gods . They go off into captivity together .

Speaker 1 3:36

Listen to me , descendants of Jacob , all you who remain in Israel . I have cared for you since you were born . Yes , I carried you before you were born . I will be your God throughout your lifetime , until your hair is white with age . I made you and I will care for you . I will carry you along and save you .

Speaker 1 3:56

To whom will you compare me ? Who is my equal ? Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it . They will bow down and worship it . They carry it around on their shoulders and when they set it down , it stays there . It can't even move , and when someone prays to it , there's no answer . It can't rescue anyone from trouble . Do not forget this . Keep it in mind . Remember this , you guilty ones , For I do whatever I wish . I will call a swift bird of prey from the east . A leader from distant land will come and do my bidding . I have said what I would do and I will do it . Listen to me , you stubborn people . Who are you ? Who are ? Wait , let me try that again .

Speaker 1 5:01

Verse 12 . Listen to me , you stubborn people who are so far from doing right , for I am ready to set things right , not in the distant future , but right now . I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel . I love the way that ends . It ends because he's saying there are these fake things called idols and there's me , and it seems as though there is a battle , but there's really not . There's really what's false and what's real .

Speaker 1 5:31

The reality is is we know , in the end , we know that all these other things don't satisfy . Our addictions don't satisfy . Can we get really , really honest for a moment ? Pornography is brutal , is dangerous , is terrible and it is extremely addictive because for just a moment it fills the emptiness and the loneliness in our lives , but we know it doesn't satisfy . Alcohol is dangerous , it is difficult and we know it doesn't satisfy , but for just a moment it numbs us to our pain .

Speaker 1 6:15

Talking to people , flirting with people , doing things that attract the opposite sex when we're married to somebody else . It is difficult , it is dangerous , but it allures us because we want to be wanted , but in the end of the day , we know it doesn't satisfy . Chasing after all the gold in the king's house , chasing after prestige and position and being noticed and being an influencer on social media . You know why we seek after that is because we crave acceptance , crave significance . But the reality is we know it doesn't satisfy . But the problem is is there's a certain level of control that we think we have over those things ? We think we have control over pornography because we're able to get cheap thrills when instead of commitment went instead of commitment . We think we have control over our alcohol because we don't have to do the hard work of fixing relationships in order to find healing , we just can take another drink . We think that we can have control over flirting with someone we're not married to because we want the attention without the commitment . There are so many things that we think we have that we really don't and we realize that they don't satisfy . There's such amazing news that God has .

Speaker 1 7:33

I want to read the last two verses and then we're going to pray together . He says listen to me , you stubborn people , you who are far from doing what is right . Here it is . I am ready to set things right , not in the distant future . Right now I am ready to save . I don't know where you are . Right now I am ready to save

Freedom From Idols and Salvation

Speaker 1 7:53

. I don't know where you are right now .

Speaker 1 7:53

Maybe you're in a position where there was a time in your life where you self-medicated your difficulties and your struggles and things with these cheap thrills that don't satisfy , and now you're free . And so in just a moment , I pray , I would encourage you to take a moment and just to celebrate your freedom , celebrate that that used to have a hold on you and it doesn't . Maybe you're somebody who you're free , but you know someone who is not , and I pray the Holy Spirit puts that person on your mind so that you can start interceding for them and preparing your heart so that , if he opens the door for them to talk to you , you'll be ready to step into that relationship . But maybe you're someone that , if you're honest , you're self-medicating with idols , with things that have taken the place of God in your life , and you know what God says to you . I am ready to set things right , not in the distant future , not when you think you get your life together , not when you whatever .

Speaker 1 8:42

God doesn't want you clean . He wants you right now . He's the one who helps you get clean and he says if you are ready , right now is the moment of your salvation . Right now is the moment for the healing to start , but you have to have the courage to come to him . I want to pray for you and then it's time to do some business with the Lord . You ready , let's pray God . Thank you so much that you see us and you are ready right now .

Speaker 1 9:09

It's not really a royal rumble . It's not really a battle . It's between what is false , what doesn't satisfy , and the one who does . I pray , god , that you will be that satisfaction in our life . You'll give us the courage to take the next step right now . In Jesus' name , we pray Amen , amen . I can't wait to see what God does in your life . God's word says in Isaiah , chapter 12 , verse 2 , god has come to save me . I will trust in him and not be afraid . The Lord , god , is my strength and my song . He has given me the victory . I love you . I'll see you tomorrow . For Isaiah , chapter 47 .