Pastor Goforth

Past, Present, Future Gal. 1:3-5

October 7th, 2025
We all have a journey we are on with the Lord – the beauty of the eternal mind and existence of God is that he sees it all finished, but we are on a historical journey.

We know the Grace and Pece from God through Jesus v3 because v4 he gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father – to him be the glory, forever and ever – Amen

Wow! Past, Present, and Future –

Read Galatians 1:3-5

Grace and Peace – right now is because of the past work of Christ on the cross to pay for my sin that still was a future certainty, when he died. His past act for my future sin will give me present rescue from the evil attacks I face today.

It was all according to the eternity past will of God the Father. It then is all for the future glory of God – forever and ever in eternity to come.

Then if you continued reading in chapter 1 Paul asks they then they are seeking “gospel”, “good news” somewhere else? Where else are you going to get “good news” like what Jesus has provided for us Past, Present, and Future?

We all, child of God, have a Past, Present, and Future.

v13 you have heard of my former way… persecuted the church… but when God… who set me apart and called me by his grace… was pleased to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach

I will stop right there and say again, we all have a past, present, and future.

We all have things we did that defined us. Things we were proud of and not proud of. Things were we knew and others we didn’t know better. Yet, before all of that, God’s will had made a plan, a purpose, and a provision for us.

Before our past, Jesus came, lived, and died for us. Before we received him, he called us. If you are a child of God, then in your past, you received his gift offered, because you believed you were a sinner, and that Jesus was a Savior. For me that historic moment was on a Saturday night, alone in my room, I prayed to God for forgiveness, believing in Jesus, and confessing him as risen and Lord.

When I face the evil of this present age – I must remember that Jesus gave himself
- For my sin
- to Rescue (exeletai = deliver, rescue) me from this present age
That doesn’t mean that in this age evil won’t attack, but it means that it has no power over me, that is unless I give it, and all still is under the will and power of God.

The present rescue we need over penalty of sin, (past) the power of sin, (present) and the presence of sin (future) is Jesus who gave himself for my sin (past, present, and future).

To Him be the Glory – forever and ever

Don’t turn anywhere else but to Jesus – there is no other gospel

v11 the Gospel preached by me is not of human origin

v15 but when God… was pleased to reveal his Son…

Do you have a “WHEN” if your journey? A time when you trusted Jesus and appropriated his death for your sin? If you do NOT have or can remember a “when” – then you can TODAY. Hear Jesus calling you and put your day of Salvation into the past tense.

Then, today you have rescue and power over sin and the evil of this age – so that you can join his purpose in telling the good news. You don’t have to be a preacher, missionary, or evangelist, just someone telling what Jesus did for you.

Then because we have a past moment when he became your Lord, and a present reality, then we have a settled future in his present giving him glory forever and ever.

Grace to you and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To Him be the glory, forever, and ever…Amen!
Following Jesus – Luke 9:46-62

September 30th, 2025

“An Argument started…” – interesting way this passage I turned to yesterday started… surely followers of Jesus don’t do that.

Luke 9 is an often quoted passage, not the least of which is 9:23 – if you would come after/follow after me… deny self, take up cross DAILY and follow me

Perhaps the hardest part of following Jesus is that it is constant – daily, moment by moment, thought for thought.

Then it says whoever wants to save his life must lose it. Then Luke records the “inner three” – John, James, and Peter having the mountain top experience with Jesus. More happens and then Jesus says, v44 Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men… but they did not understand… were afraid to ask… Sometimes the hardest part of following is that his destination is different or doesn’t make sense to us.

Then in v46… an argument started among them about who was the greatest… My goodness, was this ripped from the headlines today in 2025? No, it’s just the proud hearts of men, men of God.

Jesus then took a little child, whoever welcomes this little child, welcomes me… whoever is least this is the great one.

v49 Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because HE DOES NOT FOLLOW US. Again, is this a current headline? Jesus’ response, don’t stop him… whoever is not against you(us) is for you(us)

We get wrapped up often in wanting people to follow us, don’t we? We also get wrapped up in wanting to know “where” and “what” and not “who”. Following Jesus is about the WHO – more than the where, what, how, or even why.

The childlike following is just being happy to be there with Jesus.

So, then these potential followers end up the chapter

v57 – I’ll follow you wherever you go . Jesus says, “I don’t have a place”. It’s not the where but who.

v59 he said to another, ‘Follow me’… ‘Lord, first, let me bury my Father’… i.e. not now, later… culturally they tell us this meant NOT that his Father was dead, but that sometime, perhaps years later, when his father had died, then I’ll follow you.

v61 another said, ‘I will follow you… but first… let me say goodbye… again, culturally this one was suggesting an extended party… time…

v62 Jesus said, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom

They would have remembered in 1 Kings 19:19-21 when Elijah called Elisha to take up and follow him. Elisha was plowing a field and said let me kiss my father… then I will follow you… Elijah scolded him… go back… what have I done to you… and Elisha realized he couldn’t wait and so he slaughtered his oxen, broke up the plow for a fire and fed everyone the oxen, and left and followed him.

Following Jesus is leaving it all behind, now. Following Jesus is not about what, where, when, or how, not even why, it’s about WHO

Not you, deny yourself. Don’t seek notoriety, follow now, each and every now. Take up your cross, daily – now, and now, and now, and now, not later.

It’s not about where, “where are you going”, no – WHO is going? WHO is leading? I’m follow… means I GO.

Oswald Chambers on this passage says, “When once the call of God comes, begin to go and never stop going.”

When we say, “yes, but first” we just stopped following and said “no”.

When we argue over who is the greatest, we just stopped following.

Whatever hinders following… Whoever hinders following…?

v60 Jesus said, you go and spread the news of the Kingdom… and when we do that, we look up and find we are WITH Jesus

Again Chambers said, “the one who says, ‘yes Lord… but’ is fiercely read, but never goes.”

Let’s go… Following Jesus is just about Jesus – go with him.
So, If I (then) – You Also Ought

September 23rd, 2025

Jesus knew and was committed to his purpose on earth. John 13:3 – Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God… 4 So…

We must live “so that”… we need to live “so” or “Responsive” lives

1 John 3:16 this is how we know love: He (Jesus) laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers

So there in John 13 Jesus “got up” from the upper room meal, the Passover, and lived out an example of his purpose. He took off his outer garment… took up a towel… poured water… to wash his disciples feet. Then v12 when Jesus had washed their feet… put on his outer clothing, he reclined again.

What did Jesus know? That he would leave heaven’s glory, take up a servants role, serve us with life and death, and then return to heaven. He also knows that one day he will return to earth. In the time between when he left and when he will return, he knew he would employ servants empowered by the Holy Spirit to take his good news and serve in his stead.

In v12 he asks do you know what I have done for you? Well, yes, you washed our feet. He served them, made them clean, but he also was calling them AND US to take up the mantle of service

then v13 you call me teacher and Lord… didaskalos = instructor and kyrios = Lord, Master. He doesn’t just teach us for information, for a quiz coming; but as instruction for living and acting. It is also instruction FROM the Master, the Boss.

… that is what I am… 14 SO… there is an expectation … SO, if I (then you)… if I, your Lord and Teacher… did you notice he corrects the order and thought process. He said you call me Teacher and Lord… but he reordered their thinking, I am Lord first, and so as Instructor, I am LORD…

…if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed YOUR feet, you OUGHT to wash one another’s feet

As Master / Lord – he is our Teacher… and he says we OUGHT – ohpeilo = owe obligation. Considering what he has done, we have an obligation

It is his greatness that increases the quality and debt of his service because of who we are – all have sinned… righteousness like filthy rags… that’s who WE are and that HE would leave Heaven, lay aside his glory become one of us, become a servant to make a way for us to come into the family… then I have a Debt to him.

Paul understood this when he writes to the Romans. Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the Gospel. Then in v14 he says, I am obligated both to Greeks and Barbarians… to size and foolish… It is from that same root word ohpeilo… there is Opheiletes = debtor.

I had a debt to God that I could not pay. Jesus paid the debt. He bore the weight. Forgiveness doesn’t mean to just forget the debt… it means to “bear the weight”. Jesus bore the weight of our sin… so we now have a debt to him. We can’t pay it back, but we CAN do everything in our lives by gratitude to show it by serving others to bring them to the one who can bear the weight of their sin.

Then in John 13:15 For I have given you an example… (hypodeigma = model, exmple, pattern) … that you SHOULD (expectation) do just as I have done for you

My mind then went to 1 Peter 2. In that letter, Peter talks about living as a servant of Christ. 1 Peter 2:15 it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good… then he goes on submit… honor… love… fear God… honor emperor… submit to masters… for it brings favor… do what is good… endure suffering… WHY? 1 Peter 2:21 for you were called to this because Christ also suffered for you leaving an EXAMPLE that you should FOLLOW in his steps.

Well… Hmm… where did Peter learn this? 3 years watching Jesus, but right there in John 13 in the upper room… I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done for you…

So then, child of God, Jesus says in John 13:17, if you KNOW these things, you have BLESSED if you DO them.

I’ll leave us there… for further encouragement – read Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:47, 11:28; James 1:22-25
The Light that Gets us Through

September 17th, 2025
2 Corinthians 4:1 “Therefore, since we have this ministry, because we were shown mercy, we do not give up.” that word, enkakoumen = be discouraged

What keeps us from being discouraged?
- the Work of God IN us
- the Work of God THROUGH us
- Having our Eyes Open and Focused on the Lord
What we have is from the Lord. What we proclaim is from the Lord. What God is doing and those to whom we minister are the evidence and the power of God displayed. When I look out and see the lives changed, the body looking more like Jesus, I know the glory of God is on display.

Whenever you see a “therefore” in scripture you should always back up. So, I went back to chapter 3.

3:2 you yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone… Christ’s letter delivered by us, not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God

Look around at what God is doing and see the testimony of the power of God and make known that the Christ in you, his message delivered by you, the power of the Spirit is being birthed in lives. That is what TAKES us Through.

3:12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness

3:16 whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed

3:18 we all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory

Take a look at your OWN life and see what you were, see what you are becoming and take encouragement in the progress of God’s glory in you. From the Glory of Salvation to the Glory of Transformation.

4:1 THEREFORE…

The gift of God is never an end of the story, we don’t live on a “cul-de-sac” with everything coming to us an ending. No, it is flowing to us, through us, …because we were shown mercy…
- we have (a) this ministry – yep you have a ministry – the ministry of love, reconciliation, displaying the glory of God
- we do not give up
- v2 INSTEAD – oh there ARE options… not necessarily acceptable options, but we live DIFFERENTLY – openly, honorably, truthfully, toward others with the same message we have received.
v5 for we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord – Wow Church – careful, sometimes we are trying to make disciples of ourselves.

v7 we have this treasure in clay jars – what a treasure we have in our fragile ceramic lives… This is what gets us through – knowing what he has done for us. Knowing what he has given us, that is a ministry of the same glory, knowing we live just along the path – not in a cul-de-sac, but Thoroughfare Living.

So then Paul can say in vv8-9 we are afflicted… not crushed… persecuted… not abandoned … perplexed… not in despair… struck down… not destroyed. When affliction, perplexation, desperation, and persecution come… we are just relating to, carrying with us v10 the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed… 11 for we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that Jesus’ life may also be displayed.

Oh my go ahead and read the rest… Oh we want the Power of the Resurrection as Paul says in Philippian 3:10 – but for that to be reality we need to fellowship of his suffering… conformed to his death. You can’t have resurrection without death.

Albert King used to sing Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die…”

You have a Ministry if you have experienced Mercy – so get on the thoroughfare of glory, share your story, in the family of God.
A Well of Water Springing Up

September 9th, 2025
We all know the story of Jesus meeting that Samaritan Woman outside of Sychar in Samaria… There is so much intentionality in this story. Jews generally went AROUND rather than through Samaria when traveling between Galilee and Judea… but in John 4, “he HAD , TO go through Samaria”

The women normally came to draw water in the morning when it was cooler, but this woman did not, because of lack of relationship and reputation. She came at noon.
Jesus had stopped by “Jacob’s well” that morning because he was, worn out from the journey, sending his disciples on to town for food. It was noon… and Jesus was sitting there waiting.

She came at noon… was drawing water, keeping to herself I’m sure… Jesus created a conversation… “Give me a drink” Might not seem like much to us, but men didn’t talk to unrelated women, nor Jews to Samaritans…

Her response? “How is it that YOU, a Jew, ASK… from ME, a Woman, a Samaritan… for a drink“

Ok, we have a conversation. Do WE create opportunities for a conversation with people we normally would not walk with, people who need a conversation? Jesus was there intentionally, he had a purpose.

“If you knew… the gift of God… who is speaking… you would ask HIM… he would give you LIVING water.

Ok now… he’s seeing where she is…

I used to know an auto mechanic that would have gospel conversations with people standing and watching while he was balancing a tire or fixing a car. “You know life gets out of balance sometimes, things get broken…” He was creating conversations.

“Sir, you don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where do YOU get LIVING water. Are you greater than Jacob?”

If we create conversations, people will ask the pertinent questions.

He was telling her, “you get thirsty every day, but the water I will give… you will never be thirsty again. In fact, the water I give will become a well springing up in him for eternal life.“

Sir… give me THIS water.

There is so much in this interaction. I want to encourage us to create conversations, look for opportunities. See where people are and take them there. If this woman has replied, “leave me alone”, or “I don’t want to talk about this, I don’t believe you can do this” – well Jesus would have left her alone. But she responded, continued, was latching on to the key words and asking the right questions… where… living… give it to me

Read the REST of the interaction in John 4, see how he walked along to see where she was, I use it often as an example with people on how to have gospel conversations…

But when I first looked at this passage, this morning, v14 jumped out at me for a “flip side” observation, and questions rose for WE WHO are already “drinkers from the well, indwelt by the Spirit of God…
- do we have misplaced thirst
- what is “springing up” in our response to stimuli?
- Bump a glass and what’s inside will come out… where have we been drinking and filling our thirst?
- Even though we know and belong to Jesus, sometimes we drink from the wrong well – we still have an old and a new nature in us. Sometimes we drink from the wrong well.
And then I just wrote down, “STOP IT.”

Put down the cup to the old cistern and drink from living water. Old Cisterns get filled by rain, runoff, or intentional filling. Then can become stagnant, bug infested, diseased, but the Spring of Living Water… runs from a clean source.

WOW – I made a hard shift here didn’t I? But stop and look, ask, where am I drinking, seeking to quench my thirst?

Drink from the Living Water and find Thirst Quenched…

…THEN, offer someone else a drink
Friends – John 15:15-16

September 2nd, 2025
“I do not call you servants anymore because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask in my name, he will give you.” (CSB)

So much in these two verses. Being a “friend of God” is something that has consumed me since I was a teenager. The idea of Abraham as a “friend of God”, close to him, a co-laborer, part of the plan, was something that got my attention early. It is more than a feeling, but a calling, a responsibility, a position.

Jesus says, “I do not call you servants anymore” – They had grown… but it was known and expected by God. They went from seekers, to followers, to believers, to servants, and now friends.

Why does he call them friends? Because…
- He revealed his purpose and plans
- “I chose you” – before they progressed, he had a plan. eklegomai = select of one or more alternatives. He decided to choose them. He did not have to, but he did… and then…
- “I appointed you” – tithemi = put, place, lay, appoint, assign.
- “to go… and produce fruit… that should remain
- So that… whatever you ask… anything I want? no… in my name – that is in his character. his purpose, for his glory
The transition to “friend” carries with it a passion FOR the friendship. Friendship is no longer about ME, but about the purpose of the relationship

A friend of Christ is…
- grateful to be chosen,
- feels a responsibility from the assignment…
- must Know and then Go… Henry Blackaby says, “you can’t stay where you are and go with God”
- Produce sustainable work
- Then… “whatever you ask”… the fact of an “ask” reveals the internal desire. The “ask” reveals heart, passion, purpose. Whatever your desires are – a friend has the desire to please the object of our friendship.
- in my name – according to his revealed will, which is revealed from the Father. According to his position as son. According to his purpose. For his glory. Part of the work of the Spirit in our lives is to reveal, confirm, convict us of the will of God, and then empower us to move in that appointed task
- THEN… he (the Father) will give you. If I’m asking and God is not giving, then either the time is wrong, or it is not according to the nature, purpose, position, and posterity of Jesus the Son.
We could spend a LONG time here, but that’s for another time…

George Washington said, “True Friendship is a plant of slow growth”

Thomas Aquinas said, “There is nothing on this earth to be more prized than true friendship.”

On a different and erroneous level, Jim Morrison said, “a friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself”.

Yeah, that SOUNDS good, but what if who I am is wrong, deadly, and dangerous? True Friendship is committed to the Advancement of the Friend. I want to be a “Friend of Christ” for his glory, his purpose.

So, one other quote of interest…

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “the glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship, it is the Spiritual Inspiration that comes when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”

Jesus has called us “friends”… oh my, I want to live up to that…
The Bloody Path Luke 18:31

August 5th, 2025

Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; 33 and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.” CSB(2020)

This is not exactly a great recruitment speech, but it is often true. It was the path for Christ, but also is what the disciples experienced. Remember Jesus said, “don’t be surprised if the world hates you… it hated me first” (John 15:18)

As I often do, I took a circuitous path as I looked at this message Christ had for his disciples. I look at the scripture laid, and the context of the words.

Isaiah 53 is a beautifully clear prophesy of the coming suffering sacrificial Savior, the Lamb who would be struck down, afflicted, pierced, crushed for us. In the previous verses at the end of Isaiah 52, verse 14 says, “his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man.” Verse 13 though says, “see my servant will be successful, he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted”

We like the idea of success, raised, lifted, exalted… but before the throne was the cross, raised and lifted up. Before the crown was a crown of thorns.
Jesus DID say, we must “deny self and follow me”. The disciples spent their lives following him, all but John died a martyr’s death, and even he had plenty of trials for his long life of following.

Let me try and take you where I went from Luke 18:31, which began with the word, “THEN“… Back at Luke 18:18 we have the story of that “Rich Young Ruler”, who asked, “what must I DO to inherit Eternal Life?” He had been good at doing… but Jesus questioned where his love was… “you lack one thing… sell all… give to the poor… treasure in heaven… then follow me”. And it says he “became extremely sad because he was rich.“

v24 seeing that he became sad… Jesus said, ‘how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom‘

v27 what is impossible with man is possible with God

Stay with me Now…

v28 Peter said, “look, we have left what we had and followed you”

and in v30 Jesus told them not to worry because if they left anything for him they would receive, “many times more… and eternal life”.

THEN…

v31 THEN he took this Twelve aside…

Having experienced that interaction with the rich ruler… one who wanted answers, but went away sad… Jesus pulled the Twelve aside, as he often did, for teaching moments.

Every servant of Christ has to wrestle with our perception and expectations of what it will be like to follow Jesus… the Reality is often a Bloody Path.

Those 12 Disciples thought the Kingdom was Coming ON Earth, right then… and what did they want? They wanted to “sit next to Jesus”, get in on some ruling, some authority, be exalted.

The Rich Man asked, what must I do… and Jesus said, Follow Me

The Disciples asked “can we sit next to you”… and Jesus said, Follow Me

But the reality of following him is often much more than we imagined, the cost is greater, it cuts to the heart of where we are. The difference in the Rich man and the Disciples was that he left, and they kept coming after him. That’s a good thing.

Jesus tells them the cost… handed over… mocked… insulted… spit on… flogged… killed…

What did Isaiah say… despised… rejected… crushed… wounded…

What Jesus was teaching the seeker, and the followers was… “Give Up what you love the most, and follow me”. Know that you WILL Rise, be Lifted Up, be Successful, be Exalted… in DUE time, in an Eternal Place.

Oh I need to stop… but one of those prophetic passages that Jesus was referencing when he said, everything written by the prophets… was Psalm 22. Go read that Psalm and see the images that are what Jesus experienced, but also what many who come after Jesus will experience… but the “why” is found at the end of the song… “…the next generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and declare his righteousness to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done” Psalm 22:30-31
What’s God Asking for From Me?

July 30th, 2025

When we read scriptural accounts, it is important to know to whom God is speaking, what he is saying, but always ask, “what is this saying to me?” We…
What’s God Asking for From Me?
Revelation 1:7 –

July 30th, 2025
Look, he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn for him. So it is to be. Amen

Just a short thought from reading yesterday.
- Look – turn your focus, lift your head, Look. I like the old school word, “Behold” – this isn’t a glance, but STOP… and LOOK. whatever you are facing today, Look at this…
- He IS coming. Know the Certainty the Jesus is coming. That is a Future reality and a Present confidence. Know this.
- With the Clouds… So many references to clouds in the Bible. Of course they often represent Judgment… but also Fanfare. And then I think of the time to come in Revelation 19. He comes with Justice and with the hosts of Heaven, including those of us who are the Redeemed. We will be part of the Cloud that returns WITH him. Life horses stirring up clouds of dust. We will just be part of the cloud. No one notices us…
- But Every Eye will see him. The Blind, the blinded, those refusing to look, the Hopeful, all will see, perceive attend..
- EVEN those… don’t worry about “those” – you have a list of “those”… their time will come… even those who have rejected, persecuted, raged against… even those
- Every nation and people group… all will mourn… either gratefully or regretfully. Zechariah 12:10 says that the people group who rejected him, will mourn the one they pierced. Again, some will mourn in repentance… and others will mourn as they reject him still, but time is too late
- So… I love to use the word “So” in sermons, it’s like “therefore” – because he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him… all will mourn… So…
- It IS to Be… Amen – Amen means “so be it” and so this final word is forwards and backwards – it IS to BE… So Be It – can we say that now… Yes Lord, It IS to be… So Be it. It will be and all God’s people said “Amen”
What Must Die for Glory to Shine? Isaiah 6:1

July 15th, 2025
Isaiah lived with a good and faithful king, Uzziah, who perhaps was even a relative. He was his hero… hope… the highest. Late in his life, Uzziah had tried to supersede the ways of God and dealt with sickness and seclusion and then died.

I think it is significant that Isaiah 6:1 says in the YEAR that King Uzziah died… When exactly in the that year? How long did Isaiah deal with the loss, seeking the Lord, looking for answers? We don’t know, but it devasted him for sure, and in that year… I saw the Lord…

The place of our hope, the highest thing in our lives, our hero, must die for us to truly SEE the Lord.

“saw” = ra’ah – to see understand, spy, reveal, look at – NASB says access, appear, become aware

It is amazing how things get in the way of “seeing” the Lord. They could be “good” or “bad”, but things get in the way of us seeing the Lord.

If you get everything you want, what do you have?

This passage of Isaiah’s true awakening to God is one of the most significant in scripture. He saw God in majesty, sovereignty, holiness, and immensity. He saw HIMSELF insignificant, unholy, and he confessed his sin and need for God.

I could spend a long time in 6:1-8, but that’s not for now. Today, my question is “what / who must die for me to see the Lord?”

If you go back to chapter 5, there is a “Song of the Vineyard”. The Lord speaks of his love for his people. It talks of the process and purpose of planting, cultivating, and protecting his people.

V2 says he expected it to yield good grapes… but it yielded worthless grapes.

V4 what more could I have done

V5 I will remove the hedge, tear down the wall… 6 make it a wasteland… 7 expected justice but saw injustice… expected righteousness, but heard cries of despair

As I read this chapter, my mind goes in many directions… but remember the question is “What must DIE for us to SEE the Lord?”

Then notice verses 8-10 and I’ll go back to the question…

V8 … woe to those who add house to house… field to field until there is no room and you are LEFT ALONE in the Land

Sometimes we are so busy building that we “gain” and yet lose everything we wanted. I remember Jesus saying, what does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? What good is it to get the whole neighborhood if no one lives there but me?

V9 houses will become desolate

And then v10 is the reverse of the principles of the harvest. Instead of reaping MORE than you sow, they sow and reap exponentially less.

Let me encourage you to go and read the rest of the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5. Singing of the Lord… Everything we are doing, when we lose sight of the Lord, is failing to produce what we desired and intended.

V20 woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

v21 woe to those who consider themselves wise and judge themselves clever…

v24b …they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Armies… despised the word of the Holy One of Israel

And this song ends as the Lord is calling distant lands to come to his vineyard to desolate them and start over…

And then…

6:1 in the year King Uzziah DIED… I SAW the Lord… high… exalted… on the throne

What needs to die so you can see the Lord? This is a very personal question.

Stop right now and Seek the Lord… Say…
- “Lord, you are God, Lord of Heaven’s Armies, Holy and Righteous
- Forgive me for raising other things above you
- Lord, I lay down everything else, that I may See YOU, see myself as I am, and FOLLOW You”