Sermon #15                                                             Series: Isaiah

 

          Title:       Cease Ye From Man

          Text:       Isaiah 2:22

          Subject:  The Folly of Placing Confidence in  the  Arm  of

                        Flesh

          Date:     Sunday Evening - July 2, 1989

          Tape #

 

          Introduction:

 

          Throughout these first two chapters Isaiah has been exposing the perverse idolatry of his nation.  So base, so vile, so perverted had his people become that they even turned the oracles of God into idolatry.  Their sacrifices, their prayers, their religious services, and their holy days had all degenerated into base paganism, so that God had become weary of them (Isa. 1:10-15).

 

          You see, man by nature, since the fall of Adam, is an idolater.  Our nature is so corrupt that we crave something audible, visible, and tangible as the object of our confidence.  We cannot be content with that which is purely spiritual.  Man cannot see God.  Therefore he will not trust him.  Man cannot hear God speak.  Therefore he will not obey him.  Man cannot touch God.  Therefore he will not bow before him.  Man by nature is an idolater.  And this fact is true even among those who are truly born of God.  Our old nature, after conversion, is no different than it was before.  It is only subdued and held in check by grace.  So long as sin remains in us, so long as we are in this body of flesh, our tendency, the bent of our nature, will be toward idolatry.  Our flesh grows weary of God, who is Spirit and must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth.  We all want something we can see, touch, and hear to worship.  That is a sad fact.  But it is a fact of fallen humanity.  Man by nature is an idolater.  John’s admonition is always seasonable:  “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (I John 5:20).

 

          Century after century, God sent his word to Israel.  And century after century, Israel turned aside to idols.  The Jews were by far the most spiritual and most enlightened of all men.  They were a people educated by miracles, enlightened by the oracles of God, ruled by the law of God, and instructed by the word of God’s prophets.  Yet, they continually went after the gods of the heathen!  Everything God did for them should have taught them to trust him.

 

·        He lead them out of Egypt.

·        He opened the Red Sea.

·        He fed them with manna from heaven.

·        He gave the water out of the rock.

·        He sheltered them by a pillar of cloud.

·        He lightened them by a pillar of fire.

 

Israel was alone in the wilderness with God.  Yet, they cried, “Make us gods to go before us.”  Idolatry is the nature of man!

 

·        While Moses was in the mount, Aaron was making the golden calves (Ex. 32:1-6).

·        God gave them a brazen serpent to typify Christ.  And they worshipped the serpent (II Kings 18:4).

·        God caused Balaam to bless his people.  But they turned aside to the gods of Baalpeor (Num. 25:1-3).

 

          In Isaiah’s day, after more than a thousand years of God’s mercy and grace, after more than a thousand years of special revelation and special providence from the invisible God, Israel still turned aside to their idols.

 

·        They trusted their wealth, and  despised the treasures of God’s grace (v. 7).

·        They trusted horses and chariots, and despised God’s power (v. 7).

·        They trusted their graven images, and despised God (vv. 8-9).

 

 

In a word, the men and women of Israel placed great confidence in man and no confidence in God.  They trusted themselves, and refused to trust the Lord God.

 

          Things are no better today.  Our nature is so twisted and perverted that mankind seems to always be under the spell of witchcraft and idolatry.

 

·        Men trust wealth and despise providence.

·        Men trust power and despise grace.

·        Men trust religious forms, symbols, and ceremonies, and despise the power and spirit of God.

 

As children must have their toys, the sons of Adam must have their idols.  Though God made man upright, he has sought out many inventions.

 

          But there is one form of idolatry more vile, more wretched, more deadly than any other.  There is one form of idolatry more obnoxious to God than any other.  It is horrible to worship money.  It is vile to worship power.  It is base to worship graven images.  But the most horrible, base, vile form of idolatry in this world is the worship of self!  For man to worship man is the most foolish and most sinful thing in the world.

 

          Now, I want you to read my text - “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”  It is written, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm” (Jer. 17:5).

 

Proposition:  If we would be accepted of God, we must cease from man - you cannot worship, trust, and serve the Lord God until you cease from man.

 

I.      Hear what God says by the prophet Isaiah - “CEASE YE FROM MAN.”

 

          The word is, “Stop trusting, following, and worshipping man.  Cease to place confidence in man.  And trust the Lord alone.”  The text implies that we all have a natural tendency to trust man.  We are here called upon to reverse our conduct, break up our unions, cancel our alliances, dissolve our partnerships, and cease from man.

 

A.  If you would be saved by the grace of God in Christ, you must cease from man.

 

          John Gill is certainly on the mark when he suggests that Isaiah is saying, “Cease ye from the man, the man of sin, anitchrist.”

 

1.   You will never know and worship God until you come out of and cease to follow the religion of antichrist (Isa. 48:20; 52:11-12; Jer. 51:6-10; II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4).

2.   You will never be saved until you cease to trust your soul to any mere man.

 

·        No Mediator but Christ.

·        No Priest but Christ.

·        No Holy Father but Christ.

 

          Illustration:  Tip O’Niel!

 

3.   God will never accept you, receive you, and be a Father unto you until you cease to trust yourself (Luke 18:9-14).

 

a.   Salvation is not by your works of righteousness, but by God’s sovereign will (Rom. 9:16).

b.   Salvation is not by your works of righteousness, but by Christ’s work of righteousness (Rom. 5:19).

c.   Sin is not atoned for by your sacrifices, but by Christ’s sacrifice (Heb. 9:27).

d.   Acceptance with God is in Christ alone - “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

 

B. This word is also sent to us who are the children of God by faith in Christ - “CEASE YE FROM MAN.”

 

          The tendency of our nature is to idolize man.  Many who would never think of worshipping at a crucifix, bow, and scrape, and gravel before man.  “Cease ye from man.”

 

1.   Cease to idolize man in your love.

2.   Cease to idolize man in your trust.

3.   Cease to idolize man in your reverence.

4.   Cease to idolize man in your fear.

 

          “Cease ye from man”  because you have come to know the God-man, Christ Jesus.  What man can be compared to him?  Throw yourself entirely upon El-Shaddai, God all-sufficient.  He will do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

 

·        No man but Christ can give peace.

·        No man but Christ can supply my spiritual needs.

·        No man but Christ can protect my interests.

·        No man but Christ can provide for my body and soul.

 

5.   Cease to idolize man by courting his approval.

 

C. And this word is given to the church of God - “CEASE YE FROM MAN.”

 

          I say to you, men and women of Grace Baptist Church, “Cease ye from man!’  Far too often, even in the church of God, men make an ideal of man.  That must not be!

 

1.   Human opinion must never rule the church of God.

2.   Human power must never be the strength of God’s church.

3.   Human custom and tradition must never supplant the word of God.

4.   Human aid must never be counted upon.

 

          Illustration:  Paul and Gary.

 

 

II.   Now, look at the second part of our text - “CEASE YE FROM MAN, where breath is in his nostrils.”

 

          How foolish it is to trust or fear such an insignificant creature as man - his breath is in his nostrils!  What does that mean?  It means that …

 

A.  Man is a very feeble creature - grass is stronger!

B. Man is a very frail creature - death takes him with ease!

C. Man is a very fickle creature - you cannot trust him!

D. Man is a very fearful creature - he flees a shadow!

E.  Man is a very fading creature - he will soon be gone!

 

III. Now read the last line of our text - ‘CEASE YE FROM MAN, whose breath is in his nostrils:  for wherein is he to be accounted of?”

 

          Every man must first cease from himself and then cease from all other men, because neither we ourselves nor anyone else is of any significance or consequence.

 

          God help me to live as if there were no one in the world but God.  Then, though there be billions of men around me, they cannot sway me.

 

          Man is nothing.  “CEASE YE FROM MAN!”

 

Application: 

 

1.   Some of you have been trying to save yourselves - “CEASE YE FROM MAN.”

2.   Some of you are too much affected by men - “CEASE YE FROM MAN.”  (Hab. 3:17-19).

3.   Some of you yet cling to the man of sin, antichrist and his religion - “CEASE YE FROM MAN!”