Series: Isaiah Series
Title: Stayed Upon Jehovah
Text: Isaiah 26: 3
Date: December 8, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
It is so easy for the believers mind to become full of distraction. This world is an ocean of distraction. We are in a constant rush all the time. The rush of the morning in our homes; the rush of the commute; the rush from the moment we walk in the door at work or at school and when that is over it all starts again in reverse.
Technology has caused a constant stream of distraction. Every waking hour there is a telephone, a text, an email, a social network, a tv, a radio—constant chatter. Technology has saved us so much time we don’t have time for anything else
Our responsibilities are on our minds. If we have a been blessed to have a job, we have more responsibility with less labor force. There is the constant “he said, she said”. Some are seeing a lot more month left over at the end of the money. The needs of loved ones: our father or mother or sister or brother. One of your children needs for your to be firm and you must. You have another that needs you to be tender and you must.
Sometimes it feels like the only time we have to think is that first moment we wake up and the last moment when we lay our heads down at night.
Proposition: Each day before it begins (if we have to get up earlier) and in the middle of it all when all the distractions are coming full force (take 5 minutes) and each day when it all ends (if we have to stay up later)--go into your closet, wherever the quiet place is where you can be alone, open the word of God. And get these words down in your heart. Hide them in your heart. Carry them with you in your heart throughout each day.
Isaiah 26: 3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Brethren, there is nothing like the living abiding Word of our God. This is his word to you and I who God has given faith to believe him—read his word as such—the true and living God speaking to me. Read his word believing him. Read his word asking and depending upon God. Though we have to live in this world and work in this world and focus our attention on many different things—constantly think upon this word to you
Isaiah 26: 3: Thou wilt keep him--who will do the keeping—thou wilt—the LORD Jehovah.
Isaiah 26: 3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee--Where will he keep us—in perfect peace, in Christ Jesus our Peace; in our mind, our inner man.
What assurance do I have? How do I know he will keep me?--Isaiah 26: 3:..because he trusteth in thee--because you trust HIM and you trust HIM to do so—because he trusteth in thee.
Are you experiencing it right now in your own heart? God is true isn’t he? There is enough peace for my heart in this one verse to carry me through every stormy wind.
What is it to have our “mind stayed” upon Jehovah? At the supper with our Lord, the apostle John, “Leaned on his breast” (Jn 21:20)
John said, “he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1Jo 5:18)
Our mind, our affection, becomes stayed upon Jehovah when he has begotten us again. Our keeping ourselves from that day forward is not really us keeping ourselves it is God who promises—thou wilt keep him in perfect peace. The Spirit of God lifts our minds out of ourselves to him who promises us—v3: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
I. THE SAME SOVEREIGN LORD WHO CONVERTS US KEEPS US—THOU WILT KEEP HIM.
There is no more power in us to keep ourselves or to recover ourselves, after conversion, any more than before. Keeping grace is of the Lord
· Who elected his people in Christ?—God did
· Who predestinated his people to be conformed to his Son?—God did
Who came into this earth and justified his people from all our sin?—God did
Romans 8: 33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who sent his gospel to you? Regenerated you, called you by his power and grace? Gave you faith and repentance?—God did
1 Corinthians 1: 5: That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6: Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
If you are hearing his Voice right now, if you are experiencing his peace in your heart right now--the peace which passes all understanding--it is because of of him—THOU WILT KEEP IN IN PERFECT PEACE, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED UPON THEE. Without his keeping grace we would leave God as surely as we would have never come to God in the first place. He says, keep your mind stayed upon him.
Illustration: Taking Monday off.
The hardest thing is to get from cold to hot—a warm car engine fires easier than a cold one. When our hearts are distracted from our Lord it is like a fog or a midst over the earth. It is like the chill that freezes over a pond.
We can be in the freezing, snow-covered, cold in the middle of New Jersey but when the Sun of Righteousness breaks in, he warms our hearts with the rays of his love.
We can be in the hum-drum, hustle and bustle of our daily grind but when the Prince of Peace is the peace of our minds and our thoughts he is more settling and soothing than clear emerald waters on a white sand beach.
We don’t have to make travel plans and take a long trip to find him who is our Peace, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Is 55:6.)
Stayed upon Jehovah
Hearts are fully blest
Finding as he promised
Perfect peace and rest
II. WHERE DOES GOD PROMISE TO KEEP US?—IN PERFECT PEACE—WHO IS OUR PEACE?
The Prince of Peace: He who laid down his life for us; he who was made sin for us; he who has made you the righteousness of God in him through faith. Christ Jesus the Son of God is our Peace with God. Peace assured by his justifying blood. Peace of resting in his fullness--“Of his fullness have we received grace for grace.”
The Lord IS MY SHEPHERD. Sovereign Jehovah Jesus who is our peace is Omnipotence, God the Son.
John 17: 2: Thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
He is the Word who created the heaven and earth. The Word by whose power the worlds are held in store—upholding all things by the Word of his Power. The Word working all things together for the good of them that love God who are the called according to his purpose. He is the Word of the gospel. He is the Word that speaks, “Peace be still!” Our great Shepherd, our Peace, is right there near always.
Illustration: Looking for creamer for my coffee.
Psalm 73: 28: But it is good for me to draw near to God:…
Everyone has been getting to services early. Have you found it good for you? Which has been best: when you rush in with a thousand things on our mind or when we get here early and prepare our own hearts for worship? Start each day the same way
Whenever things get stressful take 5. (You know I don’t mean to steal time from your boss. But you will be better for the boss and everyone around you when your heart is at peace.)
Isaiah 26: 20: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
What comfort! “The Lord does not upbraid.” We can come to our great Shepherd in all honesty.
Psalm 119: 25:…My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.
Revive me with your power which is able to make me grasp the spiritual reality, your earth-fading power, your faith-increasing power, your soul-settling power
Revive me with your power to make me see Christ, wearing his diadem of power, riding on his white horse with the sharp sword going out of his mouth conquering and to conquer.
Revive me with the power which separates Christ in me from the old me, the gold from the dross, the kernel from the chaff. O Lord revive me with the vitality of your presence in my heart.
III. WHY DOES HE PROMISE TO KEEP US? WHAT ASSURANCE DO WE HAVE?—because thou trusteth in him.
As believers, we know that our troubled spirit is never because of neglect from our Redeemer—it is always do to our own neglect of him. Our worldliness, our neglect, our proneness to let these things slip is so full of sin.
Nothing but infinite, tender, unchanging love and grace moves Him to keeps us, and turn us and to receive us and revive us. The honor of his name is connected with his promise to keep us who trust him. We trust in HIM because we believe HIM. We believe HE is true. The Lord would not draw us and make his promise to keep us then betray our trust.
God is true:
· To his own word
· To his own holiness
· To his own love and mercy
· To Christ Jesus his Son in whom all his promises to his elect ARE TRUE.
It is glorifying to his unchanging love and grace to restore a wandering believer. He promises to anoint us with fresh oil, heal our backsliding and grow us by his grace.
Psalm 92: 10: But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Hosea 14: 4: I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine."
"I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. It will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon."
Illustration: Emma jumping in my arms
Our God is wholly true.
Those who trust him wholly
Find him wholly true
We cannot out trust the trustworthiness of our Lord. He completely honors our trust because our trust is in him. Our best most trustworthy friend is Jehovah our Peace and Strength.
Amen!