HOW TO FACE CRISIS TODAY
Isaiah 8:19-21
INTRODUCTION
A. Crises We Face
1. Governmental intervention
2. Inflation and depression
3. Apathy among Christians
4. And the list goes on
NOTE: Noel Smith – Money can affect a lot of theology; in churches, families, individuals
B. Groups That Do Nothing Have No Problems
1. They aim at nothing and hit it every time
2. They have no friction because they have no movement
NOTE: We have friction because we are doing something
C. Personal – Job Security, Inflation
I. TO WHOM ARE WE TO LISTEN?
A. The Speakers Of This World 8:19
1. Familiar spirits
a. Fallen angels, demons
b. Astrology, Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus, Aztec calendar
NOTE: Americans spend millions annually on such superstitions
c. Don’t have regard for them Leviticus 19:31
2. Wizards that peep and mutter
a. They are male witches, magicians
b. They defile their followers Leviticus 20:6
NOTE: For Christians, familiar spirits and wizards are elements of spiritual whoredom
B. Speakers For Christians
NOTE: Should the living look to the dead for pointers on how to live? Isaiah 8:19
1. Christian wizards
a. Constantly crying wolf
NOTE: Russian story of boy who cried wolf
b. Find nothing but gloom in the future
c. Still commies under every third rock
d. International Jewish conspiracy; Illuminate
NOTE: If they exist they are a tool of Satan
e. Problems with Islam and terrorism
f. Prepare for the crash
NOTE: In the sixties a man filled his garage with wheat. Others sold houses, bought trailers and moved out of the city to the country
g. Our government Romans 13:1-4
2. God
a. Blessed are ye Matthew 5:11-12; II Timothy 3:12
1) Persecution of freedoms; Christians shall suffer persecution
2) Persecution of finances
b. All things work together for good Romans 8:28
1) All victories
2) All problems
c. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly Psalm 84:11
II. IN WHOM DO WE REST? 18:21
A. Every One Will Get Weary (Bestead) And Hungry
1. The World
a. Frets and worries
b. Blames and curses the government
c. Blames and curses God
2. The Christian
a. Realizes this is God’s Will
b. Blames Satan
c. Praises God
B. We Are Going To Get Tired In This Work
1. Sinful attitudes will tire us out
a. Covetous because others can afford things we can’t
b. Mad because things aren’t going our way
NOTE: I John 1:9
2. Doing things in our own strength will tire us out
a. Forgetting to die to self
b. Forgetting to let Christ live through us Galatians 2 :20
C. We Must Remember To Go To The Right Resting Place
1. Negative
a. The lake – The Gulf
b. The mountains
c. Not a vacation from God, but with God
NOTE: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Psalm 90:1
2. Jesus is our rest Matthew 11:28-30
NOTE: Way to find rest
a. Take my yoke upon you (means we will have to put down ours)
b. Learn of me
c. Ye shall find rest unto your soul (not just body)
NOTE: Jesus said to come apart to rest. If we don’t then we will just come apart. Vance Havner
III. TO WHOM DO WE LOOK? 8:22
A. Directions To Look
1. The World Looks At The World
a. They see trouble
b. They see darkness
c. They see anguish
d. They will be driven to darkness
NOTE: Driven- denotes weakness – forced, cornered – into that darkness. Men love darkness because their deeds are evil.
2. The Christian looks to heaven
a. We then can’t see the world
b. We then sees light which comes from heaven
B. The Results Of Looking
1. The world trusts in:
a. Big brother
b. Social Security
c. Welfare
2. The Christian Trusts in:
a. Some trust in chariots, & some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God Psalm 20:7
b. I will trust in the covering of thy wings Psalm 61:4
Sermons And Lessons From The Old Testament 