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!”