Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts

The Fruit of Sin - Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2011-07-03

Synopsis: In this introductory sermon, John Weaver begins a series on the fruit of sin, focusing on the picture of rebellious children from Isaiah 1:1-9. He emphasizes that sin inevitably produces destructive fruit, both for individuals and nations. The message centers on Isaiah 1:2, where God summons heaven and earth as witnesses against His rebellious people, underscoring the seriousness of their sin. Weaver highlights God's loving provision and the people's rebellion, drawing parallels between parental heartache over rebellious children and God's grief over His people's ingratitude and defiance. The sermon calls for submission and obedience to God, warning that rebellion leads to judgment.

[John Weaver] If you would open your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And we're going to read the first nine verses. Now, let me make a statement before we read the scripture. I'm going to start a message today. It is going to take me two more weeks to finish it. So I hope by the time I get through two weeks from today.

[John Weaver] You will at least have a good clear understanding of where we are in this country and how we got to where we are. So today will be basically introduction, but I believe the next two messages will certainly spell everything out for you. So look in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter one, verse one, the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah. and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

[John Weaver] Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. For the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger.

[John Weaver] They are going away backwards. Why should you be stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your land strangers devoured in your presence, and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers.

[John Weaver] The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers as a besieged city, except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant. We should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like unto Gomorrah. The title of the message this Sunday and the next two Sundays. Is the fruit of sin rebellious children? Sin produces fruit. And it is not a very pleasant fruit. Someone is aptly said that sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay. And that's certainly a very true statement, however.

[John Weaver] The problem that we have is that everyone wants to sow their wild oats, they want to sow their wild seed, and then they want to leave before the harvest comes in. But that certainly is not possible because the Bible says in Galatians 6, 7 and 8, Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, and he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. God has decreed in Proverbs 1 in verse 31, therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices. So actually there is no escaping that which we sow, we're going to reap it. The fruit of sin is death. The Bible says in Romans 6 in verse 23, for the wages of sin is death.

[John Weaver] Now, I've told you before that one of the greatest books outside of the Bible that has ever been written is Pilgrim's Progress written by John Bunyan. And let me just read you, just momentarily, a scene from Pilgrim's Progress and listen to what is said. John Bunyan writes, Now I saw upon a time when he was walking in the fields, that he, that his pilgrim, was as he was wont reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind. And as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, What must I do to be saved? I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run. Yet he stood still, because as I perceived, he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, and he asked, Wherefore dost thou cry? He, Pilgrim, answered, Sir, I perceive by the book in my hand that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment.

[John Weaver] I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor am I able to do the second. Sin does bring death. We sow it. We reap it. We bring destruction upon ourselves.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to hold Isaiah, but I do want you to look in the book of James chapter one. I want to show you several passages, James chapter one, and let's begin looking there at verse 13, James chapter one and verse 13. Since we're talking about reaping that which we sow and James one in verse 13, the Bible says this. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

[John Weaver] Now let me explain something right there. It is true that the word tempt is used in several different ways. For instance, when the Bible says, now it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, the word tempt there means to test or to try. It does not mean to try to entice someone to evil to do something wrong. So when you look in James chapter one in verse 13, when he says, For God cannot be tempted with evil.

[John Weaver] That is, he is untemptable because he is absolutely perfectly holy. Neither tempteth he any man. In other words, God does not try to entice us into sin. Well, where does our sin come from? Look in verse 14. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death."

[John Weaver] Now, what James has just written and what Paul has written when he says the wages of sin is death is true of individuals. It is also true of families. Each one of us have seen families destroyed. by sin, what is true of individuals, what is true of families is also true of churches. I've seen a multitude of churches destroyed because of sin. What is true of individuals and families and churches is equally true of states. And what is true of individuals, families, churches, and states is also true of nations. In fact, God said to the nation Israel, in Hosea 13 verse 9, O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself. In other words, judgment fell upon the entire nation because of their sin and their rebellion against God. You have to remember that families and churches and states and nations are made up of individuals. And God not only judges individuals, He also judges collective bodies of persons as well.

[John Weaver] In fact, I'll show you a little bit later, even more in detail next week. But when you look at verse 6, from the sole of the foot, even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. That is speaking of an individual, yet it is applied to the entire nation.

[John Weaver] If you'll go back to verse 1, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1, the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and the kings of Judah. So the Bible is teaching us very clearly here that we're talking about a nation. And if you'll skip down to verse 4, look at it again, a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity. So, he gives an illustration of a sick man, a dying man, but yet he's talking about a nation. When you look at verse 2, we begin to see the wickedness and wretchedness of rebellious children in detail. Look at verse 2.

[John Weaver] He says, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

[John Weaver] Now, we're only going to see three simple points this morning, and hopefully I will get to cover one little sub point. But I want you to notice, first of all, the witnesses summoned. We will not get out of verse two, but here are the witnesses summoned. God says here, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. Is that strange that God summons the heavens and the earth to be witnesses against his people? It appears that all of his people were in rebellion against him and that absolutely none would stand with him. And therefore, he calls the heaven and the earth to be his witnesses. This is clear not only in Isaiah, but it's also clear in the other prophets in the Old Testament. If you would hold Isaiah 1, but turn right over to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 5, And look if you would please at verses 1 and 2 to show you how thoroughly, absolutely corrupt the people were. To show you their rebellion and their wickedness. Here it is again in Jeremiah 5 verse 1.

[John Weaver] Look what God tells Jeremiah. Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now, and know and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, If there be any that execute a judgment that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. And though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely." Now look what God told Jeremiah. You run to and fro throughout the streets of Jerusalem. If you can find me one man, just one, that seeks the truth and executes judgment, I will pardon the entire nation. If you can just find me one man. And then God goes on to say in verse two, though they say the Lord live in other words, they knew the lingo, they knew the language. Surely, he said, they swear falsely. So the nation then as a whole had forsaken God, none would be a witness for God, none would stand with God. And so therefore, God calls heaven and earth to witness against his people. I want you to understand that throughout scripture, and I'm going to show you some of the scriptures God has indeed called heaven and earth to witness.

[John Weaver] For instance, let's go back in our Bibles holding Isaiah one to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 and look at verse 19. It's interesting that God gave. These witnesses stated them in the very beginning. Notice in Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19 at what God says to his people. Deuteronomy 30 verse 19 God says I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. I call heaven and earth. To record this day against you, watch that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live. Now, what is God saying? I'm calling my witnesses to record this before me. I've set before you the way of life and the way of death. I've set before you the way of blessing and I've set before you the way of cursing. And I'm urging you. I'm beseeching you to choose life and to choose blessing. Heaven and Earth is going to witness against you. They have recorded that I've offered you life and death. blessing and cursing.

[John Weaver] So, it should not be strange then when you get to Isaiah 1 in verse 2 that God says, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, because they recorded His instruction and His warning way back in the beginning. Now, let me ask, what is God doing when He calls heaven and earth to witness against His people? First and foremost, God calls heaven and earth to witness in expressing abhorrence to a nation's sins and rebellion.

[John Weaver] I want you to stop. You and I look at the heavens, we see the moon, we see the sun, we see the stars. And we think nothing of it. We look at the earth. We see the trees, we see the flowers, the birds and everything there, and we think nothing of it. And yet God uses the heavens and God uses the earth to witness against his people because of their sins and their wickedness.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would hold Isaiah one, but look in Jeremiah, chapter two. Jeremiah, chapter two. And notice, if you would, what God says, beginning there with verse 11, Jeremiah two and verse 11. He asked this question, have the nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods. But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Now look what he said in verse 12. Be astonished, oh you heavens, and be horribly afraid. And be ye desolate, saith the Lord. Why? Because of the rebellion and the sin of his people, he said, they forsaken me, the fountain of living water. And they hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. So God is calling the heavens to witness. In Psalm 89, verse 11, you don't have to turn there, but the scripture says this.

[John Weaver] The heavens are thine. The earth also is thine. As far as the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them." Let me tell you something, the heavens and the earth which God has created will always stand for Him. So He calls heaven and earth, number one, to witness the atrocious and wicked sins against His people. Secondly, He calls heaven and earth as witnesses for the prosecution.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Turn back, if you would please, to Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. I want you to notice how God is calling heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution. So even the heavens and the earth have been sinned against by the wickedness and rebellion of His people. Notice Psalm 50, beginning there with verse 3. Watch carefully. Psalm 50, verse three, our God shall come and shall not keep silence.

[John Weaver] A fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. Note, if you would, he shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people. What's he doing? He's summoning heaven and earth to be witnesses against his people.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 4 verse 25. Again, he's calling heaven and earth to witness against his people. Deuteronomy chapter 4 beginning there with verse 25. God says, When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall remain long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger, watch, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land. Where until you go over Jordan to possess it, you shall not prolong your days upon it, but you shall be utterly destroyed." So God then not only uses heaven and earth to witness against the sins of his people, he uses heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution as well. Because the heaven and earth were created by God, they will stand with him.

[John Weaver] Third, here's an interesting thought. The heavens and earth rejoice when the sovereign God of heaven and earth exercises His government either in salvation or condemnation. I find that extremely fascinating. Stop and think now. Heaven and earth is only God's witness against the sins of His people. Heaven and earth will be God's witness for the prosecution. And heaven and earth rejoices when God exercises governmental authority, whether it is for salvation or damnation.

[John Weaver] Let me just give you some scriptures. Listen, 1 Chronicles 16, verse 31. Here we go. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. Let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth. Now, isn't that interesting? Let the heavens be glad. Let the earth rejoice. Why? Simply because the heavens and the earth know that God reigns. Ah. Listen to Psalm 69, verses 34 and 35. Let the heavens and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and have it in possession.

[John Weaver] Now, here is God's salvation. And God says, let the heaven and earth praise Him. But listen to Jeremiah 4 and verse 28. For this shall the earth mourn. And the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. There's God's judgment. And he's once again using the heavens and the earth. The heavens and the earth are always going to be on the side of the creator. We're told in Deuteronomy 10 in verse 14, Behold, the heaven and the heavens of heavens is the Lord thy God's, the earth also, and all that is therein. And Isaiah 48 in verse 13, God said, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand has spanned the heavens.

[John Weaver] When I call unto them, they stand together. So whenever God calls heaven and earth, He's going to call them either as a witness against our sins, a witness for the prosecution, and he's going to call them to rejoice when he exercises his governmental authority, whether it is for our salvation or whether it is for our destruction. So the very fact that God calls the heaven and earth as witnesses underline the dignity of God, for instance, Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 1, and I want to show you the second point. Watch carefully. Isaiah 1 verse 2. Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth. There are the witnesses summoned.

[John Weaver] Notice secondly, the warning spoken. For the Lord hath spoken. Isn't that interesting? Watch. Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. Nothing else really needs to be said, for when God speaks, the entire earth should keep silence. You know what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 22 and verse 29? Listen. Here's what he said. O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. Three times. O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. When God speaks, Everyone and everything should listen in the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 20. Don't turn there.

[John Weaver] I'll quote this and we will go to some other passages. But in Habakkuk 2 and verse 20, the Bible says this, But the Lord is in his holy temple, that all the earth keeps solace before him.

[John Weaver] Now listen, if the realization of the fact that God sovereignly and supremely reigns from on high, and that God is in His holy temple, if that alone requires the earth to keep silence before God, how much more are we required to keep silence when God speaks? And how much more are we required to keep silent when God speaks in anger and in wrath? I can assure you as a child, you've done things wrong and wicked.

[John Weaver] And when your parent confronted you very upset and very angry. All you could do is drop your head. And keep your mouth closed. This is exactly what the Bible is telling us when God speaks. We should be silent, especially if he's speaking in anger. I want you to turn to the little book of Micah. Minor prophet. Little book of Micah. Right before the book of Nahum. And right after the book of Jonah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, look in Micah, chapter one and verse two. Micah one, verse two. Micah one, verse two, here it is. Hear all ye people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein is, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple." Now look at that. Hear all you people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord God be witness against you. Here's what he's saying. Shut up and listen. Shut up and listen. Listen to God's controversy. Listen to God's complaint. Look in the book of Micah, chapter six. Beginning there with verse one, Micah six and verse one.

[John Weaver] Hear you now what the Lord said, arise, contend. Thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear Thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel." Notice he's calling again for even the earth to remain silent and listen to God's charge, God's complaint, God's controversy against His people.

[John Weaver] When you look back at Isaiah chapter one and verse two. Here all heavens and give ear over for the Lord has spoken. We know that the Lord had spoken by Moses. We know that the Lord had spoken by the prophets. And we now know that God is speaking by the Prophet Isaiah. For what Isaiah is about to deliver are not the words of Isaiah, but the words of God himself. So Isaiah here is speaking then by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Are you listening? If you understand that Isaiah is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, That means, therefore, that the words that he speaks are God's words. Not his.

[John Weaver] Let me just pause and tell you. As God's people. We need a fresh understanding. Of the doctrine of inspiration. Most of us. Say yes, we believe the Bible is inspired. We believe it's the Word of God, but we never really think of the implications of that truth. Let me give you a definition of inspiration. Here's a definition. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into man, thus qualifying him to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God himself." Let me say that one more time. Inspiration is a strong conscious in-breathing of God into men, thus qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words they spoke and wrote were and are indeed the very words of God. Here is what inspiration literally means. Inspiration means that the Bible is just as much the Word of God as if God spoke every single word out of His own mouth. When you get to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.

[John Weaver] What? Stop right there. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. You know what the word inspiration means there? It means God breathed or God exhaled. So if I go... I've just exhaled a breath. Inspiration means that God exhaled or God breathed the very words of God. I will be honest. I literally detest those Bibles that have the words of Jesus in red. Every word in the Bible is the word of Jesus Christ. I know what they're trying to do. Well, Jesus spoke these words, and so we're going to highlight them in red. The truth is, he spoke everything from Genesis 1-1 all the way to Revelation 22. He spoke every word. Every word is God's word. You remember, I've told you in times past, some people try to say, well, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe the Bible. Or I believe the Bible, but I don't believe in Jesus Christ. That's impossible. Because Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, and the Bible is the written Word of God.

[John Weaver] You cannot maintain one attitude toward Christ and a different attitude toward the Bible. You cannot have one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward Jesus Christ. Let me show you. Whole Isaiah 1, but turn in your Bibles to the book of John, chapter 12. Look in the book of John, chapter 12. I want you to see what our Lord says. John 12. John 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 48. You remember, the Bible says this in John 1 in the beginning was the word, the word with God, the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

[John Weaver] Without him was nothing made that was made. When you get to verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. You remember that Jesus Christ is the living word. The Bible is the written word. Look how he does this in John 12 and verse 48. Our Lord says he that rejected me.

[John Weaver] And receive it, not my words. Have one that judges him, the word that I've spoken, the same shall judge him the last day. Notice, if you would, he that rejected me, that's Christ, the living word, and received not my words, that's the written word, have one that judges him. The word that I've spoken, which is the written word, the same shall judge him in the last day.

[John Weaver] So when you try to say, well. I believe the Bible, I don't believe in Christ, that's impossible. Or I believe in Christ, but I don't believe the Bible, that's impossible. Our Lord said that he and his word are one. And if you turn your back upon either one, you will be judged by his word. You know what the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians? He said, but when you receive the word which you heard of us, You receive it not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you who believe." So Paul said, when we preach, you didn't say, that's what Paul thinks. No. They said, that is the Word of God. You see, the Word of God is not good advice that one may receive or reject at his leisure. The Word of God is nothing less than the Word of the sovereign God of heaven and earth who issues for his commands, his instructions, his demands, his warnings, his promises, which one rejects at his own peril.

[John Weaver] The Lord hath spoken. That's what he said, the Lord hath spoken. Do you realize that God's word is the full, final, authoritative answer to every question. The Lord had spoken. And how often do we think? Well, I know the Bible says this, but. I know the Bible teaches this, but I want to do this. The truth of the matter is this, folks, when it comes to the Word of God, No one can change it. No one can hinder it. No one can thwart it. No one can stop it. It is still the Word of God. And God said in Isaiah 46 and verse 10, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. And it's going to stand. It was.

[John Weaver] Let's see who was the French. The French. atheist and infidel, Voltaire, who said within a hundred years after his death, Christianity would be gone and the Bible would be extinct. Within just a few years after his death, the American Bible Society purchased this house, set up printing presses, and printed and sent out thousands of Bibles. So the word of God is here to stay.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to Isaiah chapter one and look at verse two, because we're going to get started on what I want to bring to you. But notice, if you would, the witnesses summoned here, oh, heaven and give your earth the warning spoken, the Lord has spoken. And now here's the wickedness stated, God said, I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me. The wickedness that abounded in God's people is given to us in a way that you and I can easily, quickly, and readily comprehend and identify with it. It is given to us in the picture of rebellious children. If you have ever had a rebellious child, You know the heartache firsthand. If you have never had a rebellious child, undoubtedly, you know some family member or some friend that has, and you're still familiar with the heartache. And I will say this up front, if you have never in your entire life had a rebellious child, you should immediately thank God and give Him the honor and the praise and the glory.

[John Weaver] Because it was not your instruction, it was not your wise leadership that caused your child to turn out right. It is true you may have instructed your child. It is true that you may have led your child. But that which made your child turn out right was the blessings of God upon that instruction and upon that leadership. For the Scripture says, except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, and except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. So if God had not blessed your instruction and your leadership, your child would have turned out just as wicked and ungodly as others.

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. I have known godly parents who gave their children a Christian education. Raised them in church under the preaching of the gospel. And their children still turn out to be rebellious and wicked. It is not education that saves, it is Jesus Christ. It is true that God chooses to save through the foolishness of preaching, but it is still Christ that must save. Let me give you a good illustration of this.

[John Weaver] Pastor Isaac Case began his ministry in Reedville, Maine. And he stayed up in there until his death at the age of 91. On November the 3rd, 1852. He'd given his life to preaching the gospel. The war for independence was over. And the message of Christ was being expanded. And Pastor Case was used in planning many churches in that area. He established the First Baptist Church of Thomaston. and the First Baptist Church of Reed Field. He baptized innumerable people, and in those days, you did not count an individual as a convert unless they were actually baptized and added to the church, and he had a multitude of them.

[John Weaver] In 1904, Dr. A.R. Crane presented a paper to the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention entitled the Baptist ministers in Maine from 1804 to 1904. And he listed Pastor Isaac Case as one of the most important pastors. And he said, Dr. Crane said, that he had heard Pastor Case preach in his old age and considered him to have as much power with God as any man that he had ever heard. So here's a man who's given his life to the ministry, his life in preaching the gospel. And a man who evidently has the power of God upon him. Dr. Crane. Himself.

[John Weaver] A believer in a preacher could not understand. How pastor case. Could have a grown son. Who would not even attend church? Finally. Dr. Case asked. Dr. Crane asked Dr. Case's grown son. Why he never attended church. The son's answer was this. Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.

[John Weaver] Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is. Depravity is indeed hereditary. And if God's grace is not shed abroad in one's heart, depravity will shine through at every stage. And I find it interesting. That Dr. Case's grown son. At least knew that his rebellion and his unbelief. Was due to his own depravity. So I want us to look just momentarily at verse 2 when he says. I've nourished and brought up children.

[John Weaver] And they rebelled against me. I've nourished and brought up children and they've rebelled against me. This verse indicates that God had indeed loved, provided for and nourished his people. The Hebrew word nourished means to nourish in body, mind and estate. It means to increase, promote and to make excellent. Isn't that amazing? God nourished them. God promoted them. Wanted to make them excellent. The word brought up. Means to raise up, to bring up, to exalt, to give up elevation, to give up dignity, honor and eminence. And that is what he said, I brought up children. And they rebelled against me.

[John Weaver] I want you to go back, hold Isaiah one, But go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 4. Exodus chapter 4. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 22. Look what God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh. Exodus 4, beginning there with verse 22. And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." What did God say? Israel was his son. If you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32. And look at verse 6. Deuteronomy 32 and verse 6. God asked, Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and wise? Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath He not made thee and established thee? What is God saying?

[John Weaver] You are what you are because of Me. You're my son, you're my child. Unlike other nations, Israel's origin was due to the divine, miraculous, supernatural grace and work of God. It was God who came to Abram in the Ur of the Chaldees. Abram was not seeking God. God came to Abram and brought him out. It was God who gave him the inheritance of the land. It was God who provided and protected Abram. It was God who sent those people down into Egypt.

[John Weaver] And He multiplied them and preserved them. And when He brought them out into the desert, He provided for them. When He sent them into Canaan land, He gave them victory. He allowed them to have everything that the enemies had prepared. Everything they had. was due to God.

[John Weaver] And the amazing thing is this, even though they were what they were by the grace of God and they had whatever they had only by the grace of God, in light of the fact that God had chosen them and called them and provided for them and protected them, Yet they rebelled against him. The word rebelled. Literally means to break away, to break loose. And it has the idea of dissolving a relationship with the person through violence and self-will.

[John Weaver] You see, Israel's sin was not just the sin of rebellion. But also the sin of idolatry. In gratitude, thanklessness and defiance.

[John Weaver] Now, I told you that in Isaiah chapter one. God is giving us a picture that you and I can very easily. Clearly, quickly and readily comprehend. And that picture is a rebellious children. He says, for I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me. You know, it's the same with our children. Just stop and think. We begat them. We raised them. We provided for them. We taught them. We educated them. We gave to them. We sacrificed for them. And I'll tell you this, I know from experience. There are many times. That parents did without. Just so their children could have and the children never even realized it.

[John Weaver] But you sacrifice for them. You give them your heart, you give them your love. And then what do they do? They spit in your face. They rebel. They demand to have their own way. They demand to do their own thing. They will not listen. They do not want to listen. They love their own way and they're filled with self greediness and covetousness. They have no concern for their parents. They have no concern for their siblings or anyone else. All they want is what they want. They refuse to consider. They refuse to repent. They refuse to return. They refuse to do what was right or what is right. They refuse to come back to the way that they were raised and taught.

[John Weaver] And all they do is create confusion, consternation, anarchy, and division. And what do rebellious children become? A heartache of their parents.

[John Weaver] One of the most heart rending. Experiences. Is when you have a rebellious child. And you want to help him. You want to save him. But he will not allow you to help him. He will not allow himself to be saved. He doesn't want salvation. He doesn't want help. He wants his own way. I want you to listen. What God is saying is this. What your children do to you. You've done to me. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke 15. You know this passage. But to me, This is the epitome of a rebellious child. Luke 15, verse 12, everyone knows the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15, verse 12.

[John Weaver] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me a portion of goods that fault me. And he divided into them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance for the righteous living. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

[John Weaver] And he went and joined himself to the citizens of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine, and he would have fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. Now, I want you to go back to verse 12. I want you to know and to notice the demanding, the demeaning attitude of this young boy.

[John Weaver] And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods at fault than me. And he divided them in his living. He was a grown son. He was grown. He was certainly old enough to leave home. He is old enough to sin and be wicked and ungodly, and he is demanding that his father give to him.

[John Weaver] Have you ever had a child demand something? And if you don't give it, oh, they get angry. They get mad. They can't have their way. It is beyond my thinking today, thankfully, of people who could do this, and yet people do it all the time. I told my children, I told my grandchildren, I've told them over and over, I will help you. As long as I can, I'd break my neck to help you.

[John Weaver] But if you think for one minute that I'm going to subsidize your sin and your rebellion and your wickedness, you're mistaken. You know, there's a principle in Scripture, he who sins must suffer. And if you think for one minute that I will take whatever little bit that God has given me and give it to a rebellious child, you've got another thought coming. I'm not going to do that.

[John Weaver] My responsibility is to my wife. My children are grown. My grandchildren are grown. And if they're going to sin, they're going to sin by themselves, and they're going to sin with me. The point I'm trying to make is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 5. The point I'm trying to make is what we What our children do to us, we do to God.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Before I read Jeremiah 5, before I show you the verses. Do you not think it was absolutely wicked, wrong and rebellious for this young man to demand that his father give to him? Now listen. And when he got. His inheritance. That which his father had worked for, that which his father had saved, what did he do? He took it and threw it all away. And he had nothing.

[John Weaver] He wanted to eat with a swine, with a husk. Let's figure out what this boy did. He took all the blessings of his father. And he abused and misused every one of those blessings. And was totally ungrateful, unthankful. And wicked.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question, does God give us air to breathe? Sure, he does. Does God give us food to eat? Yes, He does. Did God give us money to spend? And some have far more than others. I understand that. But I'm just trying to show you everything that we have is from God. Look in Jeremiah 5, showing you that people do exactly the same thing to our Heavenly Father that our children do to us. Jeremiah 5, look at verse 7. Look what God says to Judah in Jerusalem now. Look what He says.

[John Weaver] How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken me, and have sworn by them that are no gods. They have gone into idolatry. When I had fed them to the full, that is, I gave them food, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses. They were as fed horses in the morning, every one made after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord?

[John Weaver] And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" What is he saying? You took everything that I gave you in love and you turned around and perverted it and misused it to sin and rebel against me. Wow! God gave us health. God gave us strength. God gave us life. Why did God do that? In order that we might honor him, worship him, praise him, serve him.

[John Weaver] But what do we do? We take everything that he's given us and we pervert it and turn it in to an avenue and a sphere of sin and wickedness. I've nourished and brought up children, said God, but they rebelled against me.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you. As a parent, be honest, you don't have to answer this out loud, but as a parent, Would you be more willing to give? And to help a loving, obedient and respectful child. Or would you be more willing to give and to help one who is despiteful? Wicked. And fights against you every turn of your every turn of life, which would you be more willing to help? I think I know the answer to that. It's easier to help a child who wants to do what's right, who's loving, kind and respectful. It's very difficult to help one who is the opposite. I want you to turn to Psalm 81. As you turn to Psalm 81, I want to remind you of what God said.

[John Weaver] He said, I have nourished and brought up children, but they've rebelled against me. I've nourished and brought up children, but they've rebelled against me.

[John Weaver] Now, I ask you those questions for a reason. Would you rather help? An obedient. Loving, respectful child. Or would you rather help one who was hateful and wicked and rebellious? Here's the answer now, listen to me. You know. That you're going to help. The obedient, respectful and loving child as a parent. Here's the problem. You want to help the other child. But he will not let you help him. Because he's not going to do what's right. And I want you to look what God said to his people. Look in Psalm 81, beginning there with verse 10, Psalm 81, verse 10. I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. What a blessing. God said all you've got to do is open your mouth wide, like a mother bird poking that worm down that baby bird's beak. God says open your mouth wide.

[John Weaver] I'll pour the blessings in. But verse 11, but my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would have none of me. So, says God, I gave them up to their own heart's lust, and they walked in their own counsel.

[John Weaver] Now listen to what this loving parent said. Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way. I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries, The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him, but their time should have endured forever. He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat and with honey out of the rock, should I have satisfied thee."

[John Weaver] Notice what God said, I wanted to, I wanted to do this. But you wouldn't listen. You rebelled. And God said, if you had just listened to Me, if you had just obeyed, I would have subdued your enemies. The haters of the Lord would have submitted themselves to Me. And I would have fed you with honey and with the finest of wheat. But you would not listen. How our Heavenly Father longed to do for Israel. And He longed to do more than He did.

[John Weaver] Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. He wanted to sustain and nourish and defend her. But because of her sins and her rebellion. He gave her over to chastisement, servitude and punishment. Here is a good lesson, number one for our children. They need to learn if they really want their parents to help them. They really need to learn submission and obedience and honor and respect. Here is a lesson for every Christian. If we really want our Heavenly Father to help us, defend us, provide for us, then we need to learn submission, obedience, honor and respect. Our Heavenly Father will always help those who are submissive to Him and obedient to Him. And He will always chastise and discipline those who are otherwise. What did God say?

[John Weaver] Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. The Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me. And what God said of an individual, he applies to the nation. Father, I pray that you'd help us today. Give us understanding. Give us grace and give us mercy. Help us, Lord, not to be rebellious as children, physical children. But Lord, help us not to be rebellious as spiritual children.

[John Weaver] May we realize Thy Word is truth. And may we submit and bow to Thee and honor Thee and respect Thee, for Thou art our God and our Father. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Speak to those of our children that are lost, those who are still in rebellion, Lord, deal in their hearts. And we commit them unto You and ask for Your mercy and Your grace.

[John Weaver] In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

[John Weaver] You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMB 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-0990.

[John Weaver] You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

The Fruit of Sin - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1017111453102
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2011-07-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 049: The Fruit of Sin — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	84

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Fruit of Sin

Weaver introduces the series on the fruit of sin, reading Isaiah 1:1-9 and stating that sin produces destructive fruit, as seen in the picture of rebellious children.

If you would open your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And we're going to read the first nine verses. Now, let me make a statement before we read the scripture. I'm going to start a message today. It is going to take me two more weeks to finish it. So I hope by the time I get through two weeks from today.

You will at least have a good clear understanding of where we are in this country and how we got to where we are. So today will be basically introduction, but I believe the next two messages will certainly spell everything out for you. So look in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:1-9

"The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. For the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger.

They are going away backwards. Why should you be stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your land strangers devoured in your presence, and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city, except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant. We should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like unto Gomorrah. The title of the message this Sunday and the next two Sundays is "The Fruit of Sin: Rebellious Children." Sin produces fruit. And it is not a very pleasant fruit. Someone has aptly said that sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay. And that's certainly a very true statement, however.

The Witnesses Summoned

God calls heaven and earth as witnesses against His people because no one among them would stand with Him, highlighting the totality of their rebellion.

Now, we're only going to see three simple points this morning, and hopefully I will get to cover one little sub point. But I want you to notice, first of all, the witnesses summoned. We will not get out of verse 2, but here are the witnesses summoned. God says here, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth." Is that strange that God summons the heavens and the earth to be witnesses against his people? It appears that all of his people were in rebellion against him and that absolutely none would stand with him. And therefore, he calls the heaven and the earth to be his witnesses. This is clear not only in Isaiah, but it's also clear in the other prophets in the Old Testament. If you would hold Isaiah 1, but turn right over to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 5, and look if you would please at verses 1 and 2 to show you how thoroughly, absolutely corrupt the people were. To show you their rebellion and their wickedness. Here it is again in Jeremiah 5:1.

Look what God tells Jeremiah.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 5:1-2

"Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now, and know and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that execute a judgment that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. And though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely."

Now look what God told Jeremiah. You run to and fro throughout the streets of Jerusalem. If you can find me one man, just one, that seeks the truth and executes judgment, I will pardon the entire nation. If you can just find me one man. And then God goes on to say in verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 5:1-2

"though they say the Lord liveth"

—in other words, they knew the lingo, they knew the language—"surely," he said, "they swear falsely." So the nation then as a whole had forsaken God, none would be a witness for God, none would stand with God. And so therefore, God calls heaven and earth to witness against his people. I want you to understand that throughout scripture, and I'm going to show you some of the scriptures, God has indeed called heaven and earth to witness.

For instance, let's go back in our Bibles holding Isaiah 1 to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 and look at verse 19. It's interesting that God gave these witnesses stated them in the very beginning. Notice in Deuteronomy 30:19 at what God says to his people. Deuteronomy 30:19, God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, watch, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live."

Now, what is God saying? I'm calling my witnesses to record this before me. I've set before you the way of life and the way of death. I've set before you the way of blessing and I've set before you the way of cursing. And I'm urging you. I'm beseeching you to choose life and to choose blessing. Heaven and earth is going to witness against you. They have recorded that I've offered you life and death, blessing and cursing.

So, it should not be strange then when you get to Isaiah 1:2 that God says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth," because they recorded His instruction and His warning way back in the beginning. Now, let me ask, what is God doing when He calls heaven and earth to witness against His people? First and foremost, God calls heaven and earth to witness in expressing abhorrence to a nation's sins and rebellion. I want you to stop. You and I look at the heavens, we see the moon, we see the sun, we see the stars. And we think nothing of it. We look at the earth. We see the trees, we see the flowers, the birds and everything there, and we think nothing of it. And yet God uses the heavens and God uses the earth to witness against his people because of their sins and their wickedness.

Now, if you would hold Isaiah 1, but look in Jeremiah, chapter 2. Jeremiah, chapter 2. And notice, if you would, what God says, beginning there with verse 11, Jeremiah 2:11. He asked this question,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"Have the nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

Now look what he said in verse 12.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"Be astonished, oh you heavens, and be horribly afraid. And be ye desolate, saith the Lord."

Why? Because of the rebellion and the sin of his people, he said,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"they forsaken me, the fountain of living water. And they hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water."

So God is calling the heavens to witness. In Psalm 89:11, you don't have to turn there, but the scripture says this.

"The heavens are thine. The earth also is thine. As far as the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them." Let me tell you something, the heavens and the earth which God has created will always stand for Him. So He calls heaven and earth, number one, to witness the atrocious and wicked sins against His people. Secondly, He calls heaven and earth as witnesses for the prosecution. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Turn back, if you would please, to Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. I want you to notice how God is calling heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution. So even the heavens and the earth have been sinned against by the wickedness and rebellion of His people. Notice Psalm 50, beginning there with verse 3. Watch carefully. Psalm 50:3,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:3-5

"Our God shall come and shall not keep silence."

"A fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." Note, if you would, "he shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people." What's he doing? He's summoning heaven and earth to be witnesses against his people. Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 4:25. Again, he's calling heaven and earth to witness against his people. Deuteronomy chapter 4 beginning there with verse 25. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 4:25-26

"When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall remain long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger, watch, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land. Where until you go over Jordan to possess it, you shall not prolong your days upon it, but you shall be utterly destroyed."

So God then not only uses heaven and earth to witness against the sins of his people, he uses heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution as well. Because the heaven and earth were created by God, they will stand with him.

Third, here's an interesting thought. The heavens and earth rejoice when the sovereign God of heaven and earth exercises His government either in salvation or condemnation. I find that extremely fascinating. Stop and think now. Heaven and earth is only God's witness against the sins of His people. Heaven and earth will be God's witness for the prosecution. And heaven and earth rejoices when God exercises governmental authority, whether it is for salvation or damnation.

Let me just give you some scriptures. Listen, 1 Chronicles 16:31. Here we go. "Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. Let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth." Now, isn't that interesting? Let the heavens be glad. Let the earth rejoice. Why? Simply because the heavens and the earth know that God reigns. Ah. Listen to Psalm 69:34-35. "Let the heavens and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and have it in possession."

Now, here is God's salvation. And God says, let the heaven and earth praise Him. But listen to Jeremiah 4:28. "For this shall the earth mourn. And the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it." There's God's judgment. And he's once again using the heavens and the earth. The heavens and the earth are always going to be on the side of the creator. We're told in Deuteronomy 10:14, "Behold, the heaven and the heavens of heavens is the Lord thy God's, the earth also, and all that is therein." And Isaiah 48:13, God said, "My hand has laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand has spanned the heavens."

"When I call unto them, they stand together." So whenever God calls heaven and earth, He's going to call them either as a witness against our sins, a witness for the prosecution, and he's going to call them to rejoice when he exercises his governmental authority, whether it is for our salvation or whether it is for our destruction. So the very fact that God calls the heaven and earth as witnesses underline the dignity of God, for instance. Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 1, and I want to show you the second point. Watch carefully. Isaiah 1:2. "Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth." There are the witnesses summoned.

The Warning Spoken

The phrase 'the Lord hath spoken' demands absolute silence and attention, as God's word is authoritative and final, carrying the weight of divine inspiration.

Notice secondly, the warning spoken. "For the Lord hath spoken." Isn't that interesting? Watch. "Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." Nothing else really needs to be said, for when God speaks, the entire earth should keep silence. You know what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 22:29? Listen. Here's what he said. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." Three times. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." When God speaks, everyone and everything should listen. In the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 20, don't turn there.

I'll quote this and we will go to some other passages. But in Habakkuk 2:20, the Bible says this, "But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him." Now listen, if the realization of the fact that God sovereignly and supremely reigns from on high, and that God is in His holy temple, if that alone requires the earth to keep silence before God, how much more are we required to keep silence when God speaks? And how much more are we required to keep silent when God speaks in anger and in wrath? I can assure you as a child, you've done things wrong and wicked. And when your parent confronted you very upset and very angry, all you could do is drop your head and keep your mouth closed. This is exactly what the Bible is telling us when God speaks. We should be silent, especially if he's speaking in anger. I want you to turn to the little book of Micah. Minor prophet. Little book of Micah. Right before the book of Nahum. And right after the book of Jonah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, look in Micah, chapter 1 and verse 2. Micah 1:2. Micah 1:2, here it is.

Scripture Reading — Micah 1:2

"Hear all ye people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein is, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple."

Now look at that.

Scripture Reading — Micah 1:2

"Hear all you people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord God be witness against you."

Here's what he's saying. Shut up and listen. Shut up and listen. Listen to God's controversy. Listen to God's complaint. Look in the book of Micah, chapter 6. Beginning there with verse 1, Micah 6:1.

"Hear you now what the Lord said, arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear Thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel." Notice he's calling again for even the earth to remain silent and listen to God's charge, God's complaint, God's controversy against His people. When you look back at Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 2. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken." We know that the Lord had spoken by Moses. We know that the Lord had spoken by the prophets. And we now know that God is speaking by the Prophet Isaiah. For what Isaiah is about to deliver are not the words of Isaiah, but the words of God himself. So Isaiah here is speaking then by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Are you listening? If you understand that Isaiah is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that means, therefore, that the words that he speaks are God's words. Not his.

Let me just pause and tell you. As God's people, we need a fresh understanding of the doctrine of inspiration. Most of us say yes, we believe the Bible is inspired. We believe it's the Word of God, but we never really think of the implications of that truth. Let me give you a definition of inspiration. Here's a definition. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into man, thus qualifying him to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God himself. Let me say that one more time. Inspiration is a strong conscious in-breathing of God into men, thus qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words they spoke and wrote were and are indeed the very words of God. Here is what inspiration literally means. Inspiration means that the Bible is just as much the Word of God as if God spoke every single word out of His own mouth. When you get to 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."

What? Stop right there. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." You know what the word inspiration means there? It means God breathed or God exhaled. So if I go... I've just exhaled a breath. Inspiration means that God exhaled or God breathed the very words of God. I will be honest. I literally detest those Bibles that have the words of Jesus in red. Every word in the Bible is the word of Jesus Christ. I know what they're trying to do. Well, Jesus spoke these words, and so we're going to highlight them in red. The truth is, he spoke everything from Genesis 1:1 all the way to Revelation 22. He spoke every word. Every word is God's word. You remember, I've told you in times past, some people try to say, well, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe the Bible. Or I believe the Bible, but I don't believe in Jesus Christ. That's impossible. Because Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, and the Bible is the written Word of God.

You cannot maintain one attitude toward Christ and a different attitude toward the Bible. You cannot have one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward Jesus Christ. Let me show you. Hold Isaiah 1, but turn in your Bibles to the book of John, chapter 12. Look in the book of John, chapter 12. I want you to see what our Lord says. John 12. John 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 48. You remember, the Bible says this in John 1, "In the beginning was the word, the word with God, the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God."

"Without him was nothing made that was made." When you get to verse 14, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." You remember that Jesus Christ is the living word. The Bible is the written word. Look how he does this in John 12:48. Our Lord says, "He that rejected me."

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"And receive it, not my words. Have one that judges him, the word that I've spoken, the same shall judge him the last day."

Notice, if you would, "he that rejected me," that's Christ, the living word, "and received not my words," that's the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"have one that judges him. The word that I've spoken,"

which is the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"the same shall judge him in the last day."

So when you try to say, well, I believe the Bible, I don't believe in Christ, that's impossible. Or I believe in Christ, but I don't believe the Bible, that's impossible. Our Lord said that he and his word are one. And if you turn your back upon either one, you will be judged by his word. You know what the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians? He said, "But when you receive the word which you heard of us, you receive it not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you who believe." So Paul said, when we preach, you didn't say, that's what Paul thinks. No. They said, that is the Word of God. You see, the Word of God is not good advice that one may receive or reject at his leisure. The Word of God is nothing less than the Word of the sovereign God of heaven and earth who issues for his commands, his instructions, his demands, his warnings, his promises, which one rejects at his own peril.

"The Lord hath spoken." That's what he said, "the Lord hath spoken." Do you realize that God's word is the full, final, authoritative answer to every question? The Lord had spoken. And how often do we think? Well, I know the Bible says this, but. I know the Bible teaches this, but I want to do this. The truth of the matter is this, folks, when it comes to the Word of God, no one can change it. No one can hinder it. No one can thwart it. No one can stop it. It is still the Word of God. And God said in Isaiah 46:10, "My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure." And it's going to stand. It was.

Let's see who was the French atheist and infidel, Voltaire, who said within a hundred years after his death, Christianity would be gone and the Bible would be extinct. Within just a few years after his death, the American Bible Society purchased this house, set up printing presses, and printed and sent out thousands of Bibles. So the word of God is here to stay. Now, go back to Isaiah chapter 1 and look at verse 2, because we're going to get started on what I want to bring to you. But notice, if you would, the witnesses summoned: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth." The warning spoken: "The Lord has spoken." And now here's the wickedness stated, God said, "I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me." The wickedness that abounded in God's people is given to us in a way that you and I can easily, quickly, and readily comprehend and identify with it. It is given to us in the picture of rebellious children. If you have ever had a rebellious child, you know the heartache firsthand. If you have never had a rebellious child, undoubtedly, you know some family member or some friend that has, and you're still familiar with the heartache. And I will say this up front, if you have never in your entire life had a rebellious child, you should immediately thank God and give Him the honor and the praise and the glory.

The Wickedness Stated: Rebellious Children

God describes His people as children He nourished and brought up, yet they rebelled against Him, illustrating the heartache of parental love spurned.

Because it was not your instruction, it was not your wise leadership that caused your child to turn out right. It is true you may have instructed your child. It is true that you may have led your child. But that which made your child turn out right was the blessings of God upon that instruction and upon that leadership. For the Scripture says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, and except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." So if God had not blessed your instruction and your leadership, your child would have turned out just as wicked and ungodly as others. Let me tell you something. I have known godly parents who gave their children a Christian education, raised them in church under the preaching of the gospel, and their children still turn out to be rebellious and wicked. It is not education that saves, it is Jesus Christ. It is true that God chooses to save through the foolishness of preaching, but it is still Christ that must save. Let me give you a good illustration of this.

Pastor Isaac Case began his ministry in Reedville, Maine. And he stayed up in there until his death at the age of 91 on November the 3rd, 1852. He'd given his life to preaching the gospel. The war for independence was over. And the message of Christ was being expanded. And Pastor Case was used in planting many churches in that area. He established the First Baptist Church of Thomaston and the First Baptist Church of Reed Field. He baptized innumerable people, and in those days, you did not count an individual as a convert unless they were actually baptized and added to the church, and he had a multitude of them.

In 1904, Dr. A.R. Crane presented a paper to the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention entitled "The Baptist Ministers in Maine from 1804 to 1904." And he listed Pastor Isaac Case as one of the most important pastors. And he said, Dr. Crane said, that he had heard Pastor Case preach in his old age and considered him to have as much power with God as any man that he had ever heard. So here's a man who's given his life to the ministry, his life in preaching the gospel. And a man who evidently has the power of God upon him. Dr. Crane himself.

A believer and a preacher could not understand how Pastor Case could have a grown son who would not even attend church. Finally, Dr. Crane asked Dr. Case's grown son why he never attended church. The son's answer was this: "Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is."

Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is. Depravity is indeed hereditary. And if God's grace is not shed abroad in one's heart, depravity will shine through at every stage. And I find it interesting that Dr. Case's grown son at least knew that his rebellion and his unbelief was due to his own depravity. So I want us to look just momentarily at verse 2 when he says, "I've nourished and brought up children."

"And they rebelled against me. I've nourished and brought up children and they've rebelled against me." This verse indicates that God had indeed loved, provided for and nourished his people. The Hebrew word nourished means to nourish in body, mind and estate. It means to increase, promote and to make excellent. Isn't that amazing? God nourished them. God promoted them. Wanted to make them excellent. The word brought up means to raise up, to bring up, to exalt, to give up elevation, to give up dignity, honor and eminence. And that is what he said, "I brought up children. And they rebelled against me."

I want you to go back, hold Isaiah 1, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 4. Exodus chapter 4. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 22. Look what God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh. Exodus 4, beginning there with verse 22.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 4:22-23

"And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."

What did God say? Israel was his son. If you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32. And look at verse 6. Deuteronomy 32:6. God asked, "Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and wise? Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath He not made thee and established thee?" What is God saying?

You are what you are because of Me. You're my son, you're my child. Unlike other nations, Israel's origin was due to the divine, miraculous, supernatural grace and work of God. It was God who came to Abram in the Ur of the Chaldees. Abram was not seeking God. God came to Abram and brought him out. It was God who gave him the inheritance of the land. It was God who provided and protected Abram. It was God who sent those people down into Egypt.

And He multiplied them and preserved them. And when He brought them out into the desert, He provided for them. When He sent them into Canaan land, He gave them victory. He allowed them to have everything that the enemies had prepared. Everything they had was due to God.

And the amazing thing is this, even though they were what they were by the grace of God and they had whatever they had only by the grace of God, in light of the fact that God had chosen them and called them and provided for them and protected them, yet they rebelled against him. The word rebelled literally means to break away, to break loose. And it has the idea of dissolving a relationship with the person through violence and self-will. You see, Israel's sin was not just the sin of rebellion. But also the sin of idolatry, ingratitude, thanklessness and defiance.

Now, I told you that in Isaiah chapter 1, God is giving us a picture that you and I can very easily, clearly, quickly and readily comprehend. And that picture is rebellious children. He says, "For I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me." You know, it's the same with our children. Just stop and think. We begat them. We raised them. We provided for them. We taught them. We educated them. We gave to them. We sacrificed for them. And I'll tell you this, I know from experience. There are many times that parents did without just so their children could have and the children never even realized it.

But you sacrifice for them. You give them your heart, you give them your love. And then what do they do? They spit in your face. They rebel. They demand to have their own way. They demand to do their own thing. They will not listen. They do not want to listen. They love their own way and they're filled with self greediness and covetousness. They have no concern for their parents. They have no concern for their siblings or anyone else. All they want is what they want. They refuse to consider. They refuse to repent. They refuse to return. They refuse to do what was right or what is right. They refuse to come back to the way that they were raised and taught.

The Prodigal Son as an Illustration

The parable of the prodigal son exemplifies the demanding, ungrateful, and wasteful nature of rebellious children who misuse their father's blessings.

One of the most heart rending experiences is when you have a rebellious child. And you want to help him. You want to save him. But he will not allow you to help him. He will not allow himself to be saved. He doesn't want salvation. He doesn't want help. He wants his own way. I want you to listen. What God is saying is this. What your children do to you, you've done to me. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke 15. You know this passage. But to me, this is the epitome of a rebellious child. Luke 15:12, everyone knows the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15:12.

"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me a portion of goods that falleth me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want." "And he went and joined himself to the citizens of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine, and he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him." Now, I want you to go back to verse 12. I want you to know and to notice the demanding, the demeaning attitude of this young boy.

"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth me. And he divided unto them his living." He was a grown son. He was grown. He was certainly old enough to leave home. He is old enough to sin and be wicked and ungodly, and he is demanding that his father give to him.

Have you ever had a child demand something? And if you don't give it, oh, they get angry. They get mad. They can't have their way. It is beyond my thinking today, thankfully, of people who could do this, and yet people do it all the time. I told my children, I told my grandchildren, I've told them over and over, I will help you. As long as I can, I'd break my neck to help you.

But if you think for one minute that I'm going to subsidize your sin and your rebellion and your wickedness, you're mistaken. You know, there's a principle in Scripture, he who sins must suffer. And if you think for one minute that I will take whatever little bit that God has given me and give it to a rebellious child, you've got another thought coming. I'm not going to do that. My responsibility is to my wife. My children are grown. My grandchildren are grown. And if they're going to sin, they're going to sin by themselves, and they're going to sin with me. The point I'm trying to make is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 5. The point I'm trying to make is what our children do to us, we do to God.

Now, let me ask you a question. Before I read Jeremiah 5, before I show you the verses. Do you not think it was absolutely wicked, wrong and rebellious for this young man to demand that his father give to him? Now listen. And when he got his inheritance, that which his father had worked for, that which his father had saved, what did he do? He took it and threw it all away. And he had nothing.

He wanted to eat with a swine, with a husk. Let's figure out what this boy did. He took all the blessings of his father. And he abused and misused every one of those blessings. And was totally ungrateful, unthankful, and wicked.

Misusing God's Blessings

Just as the prodigal son wasted his inheritance, people take God's gifts—health, strength, provision—and pervert them into avenues of sin and rebellion.

Now, let me ask you a question, does God give us air to breathe? Sure, he does. Does God give us food to eat? Yes, He does. Did God give us money to spend? And some have far more than others. I understand that. But I'm just trying to show you everything that we have is from God. Look in Jeremiah 5, showing you that people do exactly the same thing to our Heavenly Father that our children do to us. Jeremiah 5, look at verse 7. Look what God says to Judah and Jerusalem now. Look what He says.

"How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken me, and have sworn by them that are no gods. They have gone into idolatry. When I had fed them to the full, that is, I gave them food, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses. They were as fed horses in the morning, every one made after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord?" "And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" What is he saying? You took everything that I gave you in love and you turned around and perverted it and misused it to sin and rebel against me. Wow! God gave us health. God gave us strength. God gave us life. Why did God do that? In order that we might honor him, worship him, praise him, serve him.

But what do we do? We take everything that he's given us and we pervert it and turn it into an avenue and a sphere of sin and wickedness. "I've nourished and brought up children," said God, "but they rebelled against me." Now, let me ask you. As a parent, be honest, you don't have to answer this out loud, but as a parent, would you be more willing to give and to help a loving, obedient and respectful child? Or would you be more willing to give and to help one who is despiteful, wicked, and fights against you every turn of your every turn of life, which would you be more willing to help? I think I know the answer to that. It's easier to help a child who wants to do what's right, who's loving, kind and respectful. It's very difficult to help one who is the opposite. I want you to turn to Psalm 81. As you turn to Psalm 81, I want to remind you of what God said.

God's Longing to Bless the Obedient

From Psalm 81, God expresses His desire to bless His people if they would only listen and obey, but their rebellion forces Him to discipline them instead.

Now, I ask you those questions for a reason. Would you rather help an obedient, loving, respectful child? Or would you rather help one who was hateful and wicked and rebellious? Here's the answer now, listen to me. You know that you're going to help the obedient, respectful and loving child as a parent. Here's the problem. You want to help the other child. But he will not let you help him. Because he's not going to do what's right. And I want you to look what God said to his people. Look in Psalm 81, beginning there with verse 10, Psalm 81:10. "I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." What a blessing. God said all you've got to do is open your mouth wide, like a mother bird poking that worm down that baby bird's beak. God says open your mouth wide.

"I'll pour the blessings in. But verse 11, 'But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would have none of me.' So, says God, 'I gave them up to their own heart's lust, and they walked in their own counsel.'" Now listen to what this loving parent said. "Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way. I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries, The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him, but their time should have endured forever. He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat and with honey out of the rock, should I have satisfied thee." Notice what God said, I wanted to, I wanted to do this. But you wouldn't listen. You rebelled. And God said, if you had just listened to Me, if you had just obeyed, I would have subdued your enemies. The haters of the Lord would have submitted themselves to Me. And I would have fed you with honey and with the finest of wheat. But you would not listen. How our Heavenly Father longed to do for Israel. And He longed to do more than He did.

Application: Submission and Obedience

The lesson for children and Christians alike is that submission, obedience, honor, and respect are necessary to receive help and blessing from parents and from God.

"Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." He wanted to sustain and nourish and defend her. But because of her sins and her rebellion, He gave her over to chastisement, servitude and punishment. Here is a good lesson, number one for our children. They need to learn if they really want their parents to help them. They really need to learn submission and obedience and honor and respect. Here is a lesson for every Christian. If we really want our Heavenly Father to help us, defend us, provide for us, then we need to learn submission, obedience, honor and respect. Our Heavenly Father will always help those who are submissive to Him and obedient to Him. And He will always chastise and discipline those who are otherwise. What did God say?

"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. The Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me." And what God said of an individual, he applies to the nation. Father, I pray that you'd help us today. Give us understanding. Give us grace and give us mercy. Help us, Lord, not to be rebellious as children, physical children. But Lord, help us not to be rebellious as spiritual children.

May we realize Thy Word is truth. And may we submit and bow to Thee and honor Thee and respect Thee, for Thou art our God and our Father. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Speak to those of our children that are lost, those who are still in rebellion, Lord, deal in their hearts. And we commit them unto You and ask for Your mercy and Your grace.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Destructive Fruit of Sin

Summary: Sin inevitably produces death and destruction, both for individuals and nations, as seen in the judgment described in Isaiah 1.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The fruit of sin is death. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death."'

Rebellion Against God as a Loving Father

Summary: God portrays Himself as a father who nourished and exalted His children, yet they rebelled, causing deep heartache.

Evidence: God says, 'I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me' (Isaiah 1:2).

The Authority and Inspiration of Scripture

Summary: The words of Isaiah are God's own words, demanding absolute attention and submission because all Scripture is God-breathed.

Evidence: Weaver defines inspiration as 'the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into men, thus qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words they spoke and wrote were and are indeed the very words of God.'

Ingratitude and Misuse of God's Blessings

Summary: People take God's provisions and use them for sinful purposes, paralleling the prodigal son's waste of his inheritance.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You took everything that I gave you in love and you turned around and perverted it and misused it to sin and rebel against me.'

The Necessity of Submission for Blessing

Summary: God longs to bless His people, but their rebellion prevents Him; obedience is the condition for receiving His help and provision.

Evidence: From Psalm 81: 'Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me... I should soon have subdued their enemies... He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat.'

Key Arguments

Sin's consequences are inescapable

Summary: Just as sowing leads to reaping, sin leads to death, and no one can avoid the harvest of their actions.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Galatians 6:7-8 and Proverbs 1:31 to show that God's law of sowing and reaping applies universally.

God summons heaven and earth as witnesses because of total corruption

Summary: The nation was so corrupt that not one righteous person could be found to stand with God, necessitating creation itself as witness.

Evidence: Jeremiah 5:1: 'Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem... if you can find a man... I will pardon it.'

Heaven and earth always side with their Creator

Summary: Because God created heaven and earth, they will always stand with Him, whether as witnesses against sin, for prosecution, or in rejoicing over His judgments.

Evidence: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 10:14 and Isaiah 48:13 to show God's ownership, and Psalm 50:3-5 for prosecution.

God's spoken word demands silence and submission

Summary: When God speaks, especially in anger, all creation must be silent; His word is not advice but the command of the sovereign God.

Evidence: Habakkuk 2:20: 'But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him.'

Rebellion is a personal affront to God's fatherly love

Summary: God's nourishment and exaltation of Israel make their rebellion a deeply personal betrayal, akin to a child spurning a loving parent.

Evidence: The Hebrew words for 'nourished' and 'brought up' imply promotion, dignity, and honor, yet they 'rebelled'—broke away violently.

Depravity is hereditary; grace is not

Summary: Even godly parenting cannot guarantee righteous children; only God's grace can overcome inherited depravity.

Evidence: The story of Pastor Isaac Case's son, who said, 'Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.'

Scripture References

Isaiah 1:1-9

Context: The main text of the sermon, describing the vision of Isaiah concerning Judah and Jerusalem's sinful state.

Galatians 6:7-8

Context: Used to establish the principle that whatever a man sows, he will reap, particularly sowing to the flesh reaping corruption.

Proverbs 1:31

Context: Quoted to show that people will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices.

Romans 6:23

Context: Cited to affirm that the wages of sin is death.

James 1:13-15

Context: Explains the process of temptation, lust, sin, and death, emphasizing that God does not tempt anyone.

Hosea 13:9

Context: Quoted to show that Israel destroyed themselves through their sin.

Jeremiah 5:1-2

Context: God challenges Jeremiah to find one righteous man in Jerusalem, illustrating total corruption.

Deuteronomy 30:19

Context: God calls heaven and earth to record the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing.

Jeremiah 2:11-13

Context: God calls the heavens to be astonished at His people's evil of forsaking Him, the fountain of living waters.

Psalm 50:3-5

Context: God calls heaven and earth as witnesses for the prosecution to judge His people.

Deuteronomy 4:25-26

Context: God warns that if they corrupt themselves, heaven and earth will witness their utter destruction.

1 Chronicles 16:31

Context: The heavens and earth rejoice because the Lord reigns.

Psalm 69:34-35

Context: Heaven and earth praise God for His salvation of Zion.

Jeremiah 4:28

Context: The earth mourns and heavens become black because of God's purposed judgment.

Micah 1:2

Context: God calls all people and the earth to hear His witness against them.

Micah 6:1-2

Context: God calls the mountains and foundations of the earth to hear His controversy with His people.

John 12:48

Context: Jesus says that His word will judge those who reject Him, showing the unity of Christ and Scripture.

Exodus 4:22-23

Context: God calls Israel His son, His firstborn, establishing the father-child relationship.

Deuteronomy 32:6

Context: God asks if He is not their Father who bought, made, and established them.

Luke 15:12-16

Context: The parable of the prodigal son illustrates a rebellious child demanding his inheritance and wasting it.

Historical References

John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Context: Weaver reads a scene where Pilgrim cries out 'What must I do to be saved?' illustrating the weight of sin and coming judgment.

Voltaire's prediction about the Bible

Context: The French atheist Voltaire predicted Christianity's demise within 100 years, but shortly after his death, the American Bible Society printed thousands of Bibles from his former house.

Pastor Isaac Case (1761-1852)

Context: A Baptist pastor in Maine who planted churches and baptized many, yet had a grown son who refused to attend church, illustrating that grace is not hereditary.

Dr. A.R. Crane's 1904 paper

Context: Presented to the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention, listing Pastor Isaac Case as one of the most important pastors with great power with God.

Important Quotes

Sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

Significance: A pithy summary of sin's deceptive and destructive nature, setting the tone for the sermon.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Significance: Quoted from Galatians 6:7 to establish the unbreakable law of sowing and reaping.

Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into man, thus qualifying him to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God himself.

Significance: Weaver's definition of biblical inspiration, emphasizing the divine origin of Scripture.

Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.

Significance: The response of Pastor Case's son, highlighting the necessity of personal grace for salvation.

I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Significance: The central text of the sermon (Isaiah 1:2), encapsulating God's fatherly heartbreak over Israel's rebellion.

Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.

Significance: From Psalm 81:10, expressing God's readiness to bless abundantly if His people would only obey.

Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way!

Significance: God's lament over missed blessings due to Israel's disobedience, showing His loving desire.

Discussion Questions

In what ways do we, like Israel, take God's blessings and misuse them for sinful purposes?

Context: Weaver describes how Israel took God's provision and perverted it into idolatry and immorality (Jeremiah 5:7).

How does understanding the doctrine of inspiration change the way we read and respond to Scripture?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that all Scripture is God-breathed and carries the full authority of God Himself.

Why does God call heaven and earth as witnesses against His people, and what does that teach us about the seriousness of sin?

Context: God summons creation because no human witness would stand with Him, showing the depth of national corruption.

What can parents learn from God's example of dealing with rebellious children?

Context: Weaver draws parallels between God's heartache and parental heartache, and discusses the limits of helping rebellious children.

How does the story of Pastor Isaac Case's son illustrate the limits of godly upbringing without personal conversion?

Context: Despite a godly father, the son remained unregenerate, stating 'Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.'

In what areas of life are we tempted to demand our 'inheritance' from God while rejecting His authority, like the prodigal son?

Context: The prodigal son demanded his portion and left, symbolizing a heart that wants God's gifts without God's rule.

Applications

Submit to God's Word as authoritative

Summary: Recognize that Scripture is God's very word, not mere advice, and respond with silence, submission, and obedience.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Word of God is nothing less than the Word of the sovereign God of heaven and earth who issues for his commands... which one rejects at his own peril.'

Examine how we use God's blessings

Summary: Evaluate whether we are using God's gifts (health, wealth, abilities) to honor Him or to fuel our own sinful desires.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Does God give us air to breathe? ... Did God give us money to spend? ... everything that we have is from God.'

Learn from parental heartache

Summary: Parents should recognize that only God's grace can save their children, and children should learn that submission and respect open the door to parental help.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you have never in your entire life had a rebellious child, you should immediately thank God... it was the blessings of God upon that instruction.'

Do not subsidize rebellion

Summary: Parents should not enable sinful behavior in their children, following the biblical principle that 'he who sins must suffer.'

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If you think for one minute that I'm going to subsidize your sin and your rebellion and your wickedness, you're mistaken.'

Cultivate a heart of gratitude and obedience

Summary: Instead of rebelling like Israel, believers should respond to God's fatherly care with thankfulness, honor, and a desire to walk in His ways.

Evidence: From Psalm 81, God longs to bless those who hearken to Him; obedience leads to blessing.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:41:00Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:31:50Z

Clean Transcript

The Fruit of Sin - Part 1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

If you would open your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1. And we're going to read the first nine verses. Now, let me make a statement before we read the scripture. I'm going to start a message today. It is going to take me two more weeks to finish it. So I hope by the time I get through two weeks from today.
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You will at least have a good clear understanding of where we are in this country and how we got to where we are. So today will be basically introduction, but I believe the next two messages will certainly spell everything out for you. So look in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1: "The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."
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"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. For the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger.
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They are going away backwards. Why should you be stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your land strangers devoured in your presence, and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers.
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The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city, except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant. We should have been as Sodom, and we should have been made like unto Gomorrah. The title of the message this Sunday and the next two Sundays is "The Fruit of Sin: Rebellious Children." Sin produces fruit. And it is not a very pleasant fruit. Someone has aptly said that sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay. And that's certainly a very true statement, however.
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The problem that we have is that everyone wants to sow their wild oats, they want to sow their wild seed, and then they want to leave before the harvest comes in. But that certainly is not possible because the Bible says in Galatians 6:7-8, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, and he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." God has decreed in Proverbs 1:31, "Therefore they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices." So actually there is no escaping that which we sow, we're going to reap it. The fruit of sin is death. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death."
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Now, I've told you before that one of the greatest books outside of the Bible that has ever been written is Pilgrim's Progress written by John Bunyan. And let me just read you, just momentarily, a scene from Pilgrim's Progress and listen to what is said. John Bunyan writes, "Now I saw upon a time when he was walking in the fields, that he, that his pilgrim, was as he was wont reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind. And as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, 'What must I do to be saved?' I saw also that he looked this way and that way, as if he would run. Yet he stood still, because as I perceived, he could not tell which way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, and he asked, 'Wherefore dost thou cry?' He, Pilgrim, answered, 'Sir, I perceive by the book in my hand that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment.'
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I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor am I able to do the second." Sin does bring death. We sow it. We reap it. We bring destruction upon ourselves.
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Now, I want you to hold Isaiah, but I do want you to look in the book of James chapter 1. I want to show you several passages, James chapter 1, and let's begin looking there at verse 13, James chapter 1 and verse 13. Since we're talking about reaping that which we sow and James 1:13, the Bible says this: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."
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Now let me explain something right there. It is true that the word tempt is used in several different ways. For instance, when the Bible says, "Now it came to pass that God did tempt Abraham," the word tempt there means to test or to try. It does not mean to try to entice someone to evil to do something wrong. So when you look in James chapter 1 in verse 13, when he says, "For God cannot be tempted with evil."
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That is, he is untemptable because he is absolutely perfectly holy. Neither tempteth he any man. In other words, God does not try to entice us into sin. Well, where does our sin come from? Look in verse 14. "But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death."
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Now, what James has just written and what Paul has written when he says the wages of sin is death is true of individuals. It is also true of families. Each one of us have seen families destroyed by sin. What is true of individuals, what is true of families is also true of churches. I've seen a multitude of churches destroyed because of sin. What is true of individuals and families and churches is equally true of states. And what is true of individuals, families, churches, and states is also true of nations. In fact, God said to the nation Israel, in Hosea 13:9, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself." In other words, judgment fell upon the entire nation because of their sin and their rebellion against God. You have to remember that families and churches and states and nations are made up of individuals. And God not only judges individuals, He also judges collective bodies of persons as well.
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In fact, I'll show you a little bit later, even more in detail next week. But when you look at verse 6, "From the sole of the foot, even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." That is speaking of an individual, yet it is applied to the entire nation.
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If you'll go back to verse 1, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1, "The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and the kings of Judah." So the Bible is teaching us very clearly here that we're talking about a nation. And if you'll skip down to verse 4, look at it again, "a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity." So, he gives an illustration of a sick man, a dying man, but yet he's talking about a nation. When you look at verse 2, we begin to see the wickedness and wretchedness of rebellious children in detail. Look at verse 2.
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He says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me."
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Now, we're only going to see three simple points this morning, and hopefully I will get to cover one little sub point. But I want you to notice, first of all, the witnesses summoned. We will not get out of verse 2, but here are the witnesses summoned. God says here, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth." Is that strange that God summons the heavens and the earth to be witnesses against his people? It appears that all of his people were in rebellion against him and that absolutely none would stand with him. And therefore, he calls the heaven and the earth to be his witnesses. This is clear not only in Isaiah, but it's also clear in the other prophets in the Old Testament. If you would hold Isaiah 1, but turn right over to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 5, and look if you would please at verses 1 and 2 to show you how thoroughly, absolutely corrupt the people were. To show you their rebellion and their wickedness. Here it is again in Jeremiah 5:1.
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Look what God tells Jeremiah. "Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now, and know and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that execute a judgment that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. And though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely." Now look what God told Jeremiah. You run to and fro throughout the streets of Jerusalem. If you can find me one man, just one, that seeks the truth and executes judgment, I will pardon the entire nation. If you can just find me one man. And then God goes on to say in verse 2, "though they say the Lord liveth"—in other words, they knew the lingo, they knew the language—"surely," he said, "they swear falsely." So the nation then as a whole had forsaken God, none would be a witness for God, none would stand with God. And so therefore, God calls heaven and earth to witness against his people. I want you to understand that throughout scripture, and I'm going to show you some of the scriptures, God has indeed called heaven and earth to witness.
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For instance, let's go back in our Bibles holding Isaiah 1 to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 30 and look at verse 19. It's interesting that God gave these witnesses stated them in the very beginning. Notice in Deuteronomy 30:19 at what God says to his people. Deuteronomy 30:19, God says, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, watch, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live." Now, what is God saying? I'm calling my witnesses to record this before me. I've set before you the way of life and the way of death. I've set before you the way of blessing and I've set before you the way of cursing. And I'm urging you. I'm beseeching you to choose life and to choose blessing. Heaven and earth is going to witness against you. They have recorded that I've offered you life and death, blessing and cursing.
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So, it should not be strange then when you get to Isaiah 1:2 that God says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth," because they recorded His instruction and His warning way back in the beginning. Now, let me ask, what is God doing when He calls heaven and earth to witness against His people? First and foremost, God calls heaven and earth to witness in expressing abhorrence to a nation's sins and rebellion.
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I want you to stop. You and I look at the heavens, we see the moon, we see the sun, we see the stars. And we think nothing of it. We look at the earth. We see the trees, we see the flowers, the birds and everything there, and we think nothing of it. And yet God uses the heavens and God uses the earth to witness against his people because of their sins and their wickedness.
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Now, if you would hold Isaiah 1, but look in Jeremiah, chapter 2. Jeremiah, chapter 2. And notice, if you would, what God says, beginning there with verse 11, Jeremiah 2:11. He asked this question, "Have the nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Now look what he said in verse 12. "Be astonished, oh you heavens, and be horribly afraid. And be ye desolate, saith the Lord." Why? Because of the rebellion and the sin of his people, he said, "they forsaken me, the fountain of living water. And they hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water." So God is calling the heavens to witness. In Psalm 89:11, you don't have to turn there, but the scripture says this.
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"The heavens are thine. The earth also is thine. As far as the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them." Let me tell you something, the heavens and the earth which God has created will always stand for Him. So He calls heaven and earth, number one, to witness the atrocious and wicked sins against His people. Secondly, He calls heaven and earth as witnesses for the prosecution.
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I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Turn back, if you would please, to Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. I want you to notice how God is calling heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution. So even the heavens and the earth have been sinned against by the wickedness and rebellion of His people. Notice Psalm 50, beginning there with verse 3. Watch carefully. Psalm 50:3, "Our God shall come and shall not keep silence."
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"A fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." Note, if you would, "he shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people." What's he doing? He's summoning heaven and earth to be witnesses against his people.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4. And notice if you would please beginning there with verse 25. Deuteronomy 4:25. Again, he's calling heaven and earth to witness against his people. Deuteronomy chapter 4 beginning there with verse 25. God says, "When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall remain long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger, watch, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land. Where until you go over Jordan to possess it, you shall not prolong your days upon it, but you shall be utterly destroyed." So God then not only uses heaven and earth to witness against the sins of his people, he uses heaven and earth as a witness for the prosecution as well. Because the heaven and earth were created by God, they will stand with him.
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Third, here's an interesting thought. The heavens and earth rejoice when the sovereign God of heaven and earth exercises His government either in salvation or condemnation. I find that extremely fascinating. Stop and think now. Heaven and earth is only God's witness against the sins of His people. Heaven and earth will be God's witness for the prosecution. And heaven and earth rejoices when God exercises governmental authority, whether it is for salvation or damnation.
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Let me just give you some scriptures. Listen, 1 Chronicles 16:31. Here we go. "Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. Let men say among the nations, the Lord reigneth." Now, isn't that interesting? Let the heavens be glad. Let the earth rejoice. Why? Simply because the heavens and the earth know that God reigns. Ah. Listen to Psalm 69:34-35. "Let the heavens and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and have it in possession."
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Now, here is God's salvation. And God says, let the heaven and earth praise Him. But listen to Jeremiah 4:28. "For this shall the earth mourn. And the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it." There's God's judgment. And he's once again using the heavens and the earth. The heavens and the earth are always going to be on the side of the creator. We're told in Deuteronomy 10:14, "Behold, the heaven and the heavens of heavens is the Lord thy God's, the earth also, and all that is therein." And Isaiah 48:13, God said, "My hand has laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand has spanned the heavens."
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"When I call unto them, they stand together." So whenever God calls heaven and earth, He's going to call them either as a witness against our sins, a witness for the prosecution, and he's going to call them to rejoice when he exercises his governmental authority, whether it is for our salvation or whether it is for our destruction. So the very fact that God calls the heaven and earth as witnesses underline the dignity of God, for instance. Go back in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 1, and I want to show you the second point. Watch carefully. Isaiah 1:2. "Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth." There are the witnesses summoned.
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Notice secondly, the warning spoken. "For the Lord hath spoken." Isn't that interesting? Watch. "Hear, O heavens, give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken." Nothing else really needs to be said, for when God speaks, the entire earth should keep silence. You know what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 22:29? Listen. Here's what he said. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." Three times. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." When God speaks, everyone and everything should listen. In the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 20, don't turn there.
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I'll quote this and we will go to some other passages. But in Habakkuk 2:20, the Bible says this, "But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him."
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Now listen, if the realization of the fact that God sovereignly and supremely reigns from on high, and that God is in His holy temple, if that alone requires the earth to keep silence before God, how much more are we required to keep silence when God speaks? And how much more are we required to keep silent when God speaks in anger and in wrath? I can assure you as a child, you've done things wrong and wicked.
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And when your parent confronted you very upset and very angry, all you could do is drop your head and keep your mouth closed. This is exactly what the Bible is telling us when God speaks. We should be silent, especially if he's speaking in anger. I want you to turn to the little book of Micah. Minor prophet. Little book of Micah. Right before the book of Nahum. And right after the book of Jonah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, look in Micah, chapter 1 and verse 2. Micah 1:2. Micah 1:2, here it is. "Hear all ye people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein is, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple." Now look at that. "Hear all you people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord God be witness against you." Here's what he's saying. Shut up and listen. Shut up and listen. Listen to God's controversy. Listen to God's complaint. Look in the book of Micah, chapter 6. Beginning there with verse 1, Micah 6:1.
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"Hear you now what the Lord said, arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear Thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath a controversy with His people, and He will plead with Israel." Notice he's calling again for even the earth to remain silent and listen to God's charge, God's complaint, God's controversy against His people.
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When you look back at Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 2. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken." We know that the Lord had spoken by Moses. We know that the Lord had spoken by the prophets. And we now know that God is speaking by the Prophet Isaiah. For what Isaiah is about to deliver are not the words of Isaiah, but the words of God himself. So Isaiah here is speaking then by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Are you listening? If you understand that Isaiah is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that means, therefore, that the words that he speaks are God's words. Not his.
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Let me just pause and tell you. As God's people, we need a fresh understanding of the doctrine of inspiration. Most of us say yes, we believe the Bible is inspired. We believe it's the Word of God, but we never really think of the implications of that truth. Let me give you a definition of inspiration. Here's a definition. Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into man, thus qualifying him to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God himself. Let me say that one more time. Inspiration is a strong conscious in-breathing of God into men, thus qualifying them to give utterance to the truth so that the words they spoke and wrote were and are indeed the very words of God. Here is what inspiration literally means. Inspiration means that the Bible is just as much the Word of God as if God spoke every single word out of His own mouth. When you get to 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."
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What? Stop right there. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God." You know what the word inspiration means there? It means God breathed or God exhaled. So if I go... I've just exhaled a breath. Inspiration means that God exhaled or God breathed the very words of God. I will be honest. I literally detest those Bibles that have the words of Jesus in red. Every word in the Bible is the word of Jesus Christ. I know what they're trying to do. Well, Jesus spoke these words, and so we're going to highlight them in red. The truth is, he spoke everything from Genesis 1:1 all the way to Revelation 22. He spoke every word. Every word is God's word. You remember, I've told you in times past, some people try to say, well, I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe the Bible. Or I believe the Bible, but I don't believe in Jesus Christ. That's impossible. Because Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, and the Bible is the written Word of God.
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You cannot maintain one attitude toward Christ and a different attitude toward the Bible. You cannot have one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward Jesus Christ. Let me show you. Hold Isaiah 1, but turn in your Bibles to the book of John, chapter 12. Look in the book of John, chapter 12. I want you to see what our Lord says. John 12. John 12. And look, if you would please, at verse 48. You remember, the Bible says this in John 1, "In the beginning was the word, the word with God, the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God."
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"Without him was nothing made that was made." When you get to verse 14, "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." You remember that Jesus Christ is the living word. The Bible is the written word. Look how he does this in John 12:48. Our Lord says, "He that rejected me."
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"And receive it, not my words. Have one that judges him, the word that I've spoken, the same shall judge him the last day." Notice, if you would, "he that rejected me," that's Christ, the living word, "and received not my words," that's the written word, "have one that judges him. The word that I've spoken," which is the written word, "the same shall judge him in the last day."
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So when you try to say, well, I believe the Bible, I don't believe in Christ, that's impossible. Or I believe in Christ, but I don't believe the Bible, that's impossible. Our Lord said that he and his word are one. And if you turn your back upon either one, you will be judged by his word. You know what the Apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians? He said, "But when you receive the word which you heard of us, you receive it not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you who believe." So Paul said, when we preach, you didn't say, that's what Paul thinks. No. They said, that is the Word of God. You see, the Word of God is not good advice that one may receive or reject at his leisure. The Word of God is nothing less than the Word of the sovereign God of heaven and earth who issues for his commands, his instructions, his demands, his warnings, his promises, which one rejects at his own peril.
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"The Lord hath spoken." That's what he said, "the Lord hath spoken." Do you realize that God's word is the full, final, authoritative answer to every question? The Lord had spoken. And how often do we think? Well, I know the Bible says this, but. I know the Bible teaches this, but I want to do this. The truth of the matter is this, folks, when it comes to the Word of God, no one can change it. No one can hinder it. No one can thwart it. No one can stop it. It is still the Word of God. And God said in Isaiah 46:10, "My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure." And it's going to stand. It was.
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Let's see who was the French atheist and infidel, Voltaire, who said within a hundred years after his death, Christianity would be gone and the Bible would be extinct. Within just a few years after his death, the American Bible Society purchased this house, set up printing presses, and printed and sent out thousands of Bibles. So the word of God is here to stay.
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Now, go back to Isaiah chapter 1 and look at verse 2, because we're going to get started on what I want to bring to you. But notice, if you would, the witnesses summoned: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth." The warning spoken: "The Lord has spoken." And now here's the wickedness stated, God said, "I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me." The wickedness that abounded in God's people is given to us in a way that you and I can easily, quickly, and readily comprehend and identify with it. It is given to us in the picture of rebellious children. If you have ever had a rebellious child, you know the heartache firsthand. If you have never had a rebellious child, undoubtedly, you know some family member or some friend that has, and you're still familiar with the heartache. And I will say this up front, if you have never in your entire life had a rebellious child, you should immediately thank God and give Him the honor and the praise and the glory.
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Because it was not your instruction, it was not your wise leadership that caused your child to turn out right. It is true you may have instructed your child. It is true that you may have led your child. But that which made your child turn out right was the blessings of God upon that instruction and upon that leadership. For the Scripture says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, and except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." So if God had not blessed your instruction and your leadership, your child would have turned out just as wicked and ungodly as others.
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Let me tell you something. I have known godly parents who gave their children a Christian education, raised them in church under the preaching of the gospel, and their children still turn out to be rebellious and wicked. It is not education that saves, it is Jesus Christ. It is true that God chooses to save through the foolishness of preaching, but it is still Christ that must save. Let me give you a good illustration of this.
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Pastor Isaac Case began his ministry in Reedville, Maine. And he stayed up in there until his death at the age of 91 on November the 3rd, 1852. He'd given his life to preaching the gospel. The war for independence was over. And the message of Christ was being expanded. And Pastor Case was used in planting many churches in that area. He established the First Baptist Church of Thomaston and the First Baptist Church of Reed Field. He baptized innumerable people, and in those days, you did not count an individual as a convert unless they were actually baptized and added to the church, and he had a multitude of them.
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In 1904, Dr. A.R. Crane presented a paper to the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention entitled "The Baptist Ministers in Maine from 1804 to 1904." And he listed Pastor Isaac Case as one of the most important pastors. And he said, Dr. Crane said, that he had heard Pastor Case preach in his old age and considered him to have as much power with God as any man that he had ever heard. So here's a man who's given his life to the ministry, his life in preaching the gospel. And a man who evidently has the power of God upon him. Dr. Crane himself.
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A believer and a preacher could not understand how Pastor Case could have a grown son who would not even attend church. Finally, Dr. Crane asked Dr. Case's grown son why he never attended church. The son's answer was this: "Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is."
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Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is. Depravity is indeed hereditary. And if God's grace is not shed abroad in one's heart, depravity will shine through at every stage. And I find it interesting that Dr. Case's grown son at least knew that his rebellion and his unbelief was due to his own depravity. So I want us to look just momentarily at verse 2 when he says, "I've nourished and brought up children."
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"And they rebelled against me. I've nourished and brought up children and they've rebelled against me." This verse indicates that God had indeed loved, provided for and nourished his people. The Hebrew word nourished means to nourish in body, mind and estate. It means to increase, promote and to make excellent. Isn't that amazing? God nourished them. God promoted them. Wanted to make them excellent. The word brought up means to raise up, to bring up, to exalt, to give up elevation, to give up dignity, honor and eminence. And that is what he said, "I brought up children. And they rebelled against me."
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I want you to go back, hold Isaiah 1, but go back in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 4. Exodus chapter 4. And notice if you would, beginning there with verse 22. Look what God tells Moses to say to Pharaoh. Exodus 4, beginning there with verse 22. "And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." What did God say? Israel was his son. If you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy 32. And look at verse 6. Deuteronomy 32:6. God asked, "Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and wise? Is not He thy Father that hath bought thee? Hath He not made thee and established thee?" What is God saying?
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You are what you are because of Me. You're my son, you're my child. Unlike other nations, Israel's origin was due to the divine, miraculous, supernatural grace and work of God. It was God who came to Abram in the Ur of the Chaldees. Abram was not seeking God. God came to Abram and brought him out. It was God who gave him the inheritance of the land. It was God who provided and protected Abram. It was God who sent those people down into Egypt.
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And He multiplied them and preserved them. And when He brought them out into the desert, He provided for them. When He sent them into Canaan land, He gave them victory. He allowed them to have everything that the enemies had prepared. Everything they had was due to God.
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And the amazing thing is this, even though they were what they were by the grace of God and they had whatever they had only by the grace of God, in light of the fact that God had chosen them and called them and provided for them and protected them, yet they rebelled against him. The word rebelled literally means to break away, to break loose. And it has the idea of dissolving a relationship with the person through violence and self-will.
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You see, Israel's sin was not just the sin of rebellion. But also the sin of idolatry, ingratitude, thanklessness and defiance.
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Now, I told you that in Isaiah chapter 1, God is giving us a picture that you and I can very easily, clearly, quickly and readily comprehend. And that picture is rebellious children. He says, "For I've nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me." You know, it's the same with our children. Just stop and think. We begat them. We raised them. We provided for them. We taught them. We educated them. We gave to them. We sacrificed for them. And I'll tell you this, I know from experience. There are many times that parents did without just so their children could have and the children never even realized it.
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But you sacrifice for them. You give them your heart, you give them your love. And then what do they do? They spit in your face. They rebel. They demand to have their own way. They demand to do their own thing. They will not listen. They do not want to listen. They love their own way and they're filled with self greediness and covetousness. They have no concern for their parents. They have no concern for their siblings or anyone else. All they want is what they want. They refuse to consider. They refuse to repent. They refuse to return. They refuse to do what was right or what is right. They refuse to come back to the way that they were raised and taught.
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And all they do is create confusion, consternation, anarchy, and division. And what do rebellious children become? A heartache of their parents.
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One of the most heart rending experiences is when you have a rebellious child. And you want to help him. You want to save him. But he will not allow you to help him. He will not allow himself to be saved. He doesn't want salvation. He doesn't want help. He wants his own way. I want you to listen. What God is saying is this. What your children do to you, you've done to me. I want you to look in your Bibles to Luke 15. You know this passage. But to me, this is the epitome of a rebellious child. Luke 15:12, everyone knows the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15:12.
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"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me a portion of goods that falleth me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want."
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"And he went and joined himself to the citizens of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine, and he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him." Now, I want you to go back to verse 12. I want you to know and to notice the demanding, the demeaning attitude of this young boy.
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"And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth me. And he divided unto them his living." He was a grown son. He was grown. He was certainly old enough to leave home. He is old enough to sin and be wicked and ungodly, and he is demanding that his father give to him.
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Have you ever had a child demand something? And if you don't give it, oh, they get angry. They get mad. They can't have their way. It is beyond my thinking today, thankfully, of people who could do this, and yet people do it all the time. I told my children, I told my grandchildren, I've told them over and over, I will help you. As long as I can, I'd break my neck to help you.
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But if you think for one minute that I'm going to subsidize your sin and your rebellion and your wickedness, you're mistaken. You know, there's a principle in Scripture, he who sins must suffer. And if you think for one minute that I will take whatever little bit that God has given me and give it to a rebellious child, you've got another thought coming. I'm not going to do that.
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My responsibility is to my wife. My children are grown. My grandchildren are grown. And if they're going to sin, they're going to sin by themselves, and they're going to sin with me. The point I'm trying to make is this. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 5. The point I'm trying to make is what our children do to us, we do to God.
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Now, let me ask you a question. Before I read Jeremiah 5, before I show you the verses. Do you not think it was absolutely wicked, wrong and rebellious for this young man to demand that his father give to him? Now listen. And when he got his inheritance, that which his father had worked for, that which his father had saved, what did he do? He took it and threw it all away. And he had nothing.
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He wanted to eat with a swine, with a husk. Let's figure out what this boy did. He took all the blessings of his father. And he abused and misused every one of those blessings. And was totally ungrateful, unthankful, and wicked.
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Now, let me ask you a question, does God give us air to breathe? Sure, he does. Does God give us food to eat? Yes, He does. Did God give us money to spend? And some have far more than others. I understand that. But I'm just trying to show you everything that we have is from God. Look in Jeremiah 5, showing you that people do exactly the same thing to our Heavenly Father that our children do to us. Jeremiah 5, look at verse 7. Look what God says to Judah and Jerusalem now. Look what He says.
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"How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken me, and have sworn by them that are no gods. They have gone into idolatry. When I had fed them to the full, that is, I gave them food, then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses. They were as fed horses in the morning, every one made after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord?"
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"And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" What is he saying? You took everything that I gave you in love and you turned around and perverted it and misused it to sin and rebel against me. Wow! God gave us health. God gave us strength. God gave us life. Why did God do that? In order that we might honor him, worship him, praise him, serve him.
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But what do we do? We take everything that he's given us and we pervert it and turn it into an avenue and a sphere of sin and wickedness. "I've nourished and brought up children," said God, "but they rebelled against me."
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Now, let me ask you. As a parent, be honest, you don't have to answer this out loud, but as a parent, would you be more willing to give and to help a loving, obedient and respectful child? Or would you be more willing to give and to help one who is despiteful, wicked, and fights against you every turn of your every turn of life, which would you be more willing to help? I think I know the answer to that. It's easier to help a child who wants to do what's right, who's loving, kind and respectful. It's very difficult to help one who is the opposite. I want you to turn to Psalm 81. As you turn to Psalm 81, I want to remind you of what God said.
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He said, "I have nourished and brought up children, but they've rebelled against me. I've nourished and brought up children, but they've rebelled against me."
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Now, I ask you those questions for a reason. Would you rather help an obedient, loving, respectful child? Or would you rather help one who was hateful and wicked and rebellious? Here's the answer now, listen to me. You know that you're going to help the obedient, respectful and loving child as a parent. Here's the problem. You want to help the other child. But he will not let you help him. Because he's not going to do what's right. And I want you to look what God said to his people. Look in Psalm 81, beginning there with verse 10, Psalm 81:10. "I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." What a blessing. God said all you've got to do is open your mouth wide, like a mother bird poking that worm down that baby bird's beak. God says open your mouth wide.
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"I'll pour the blessings in. But verse 11, 'But my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would have none of me.' So, says God, 'I gave them up to their own heart's lust, and they walked in their own counsel.'"
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Now listen to what this loving parent said. "Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way. I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries, The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him, but their time should have endured forever. He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat and with honey out of the rock, should I have satisfied thee."
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Notice what God said, I wanted to, I wanted to do this. But you wouldn't listen. You rebelled. And God said, if you had just listened to Me, if you had just obeyed, I would have subdued your enemies. The haters of the Lord would have submitted themselves to Me. And I would have fed you with honey and with the finest of wheat. But you would not listen. How our Heavenly Father longed to do for Israel. And He longed to do more than He did.
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"Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." He wanted to sustain and nourish and defend her. But because of her sins and her rebellion, He gave her over to chastisement, servitude and punishment. Here is a good lesson, number one for our children. They need to learn if they really want their parents to help them. They really need to learn submission and obedience and honor and respect. Here is a lesson for every Christian. If we really want our Heavenly Father to help us, defend us, provide for us, then we need to learn submission, obedience, honor and respect. Our Heavenly Father will always help those who are submissive to Him and obedient to Him. And He will always chastise and discipline those who are otherwise. What did God say?
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"Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. The Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children and they rebelled against me." And what God said of an individual, he applies to the nation. Father, I pray that you'd help us today. Give us understanding. Give us grace and give us mercy. Help us, Lord, not to be rebellious as children, physical children. But Lord, help us not to be rebellious as spiritual children.
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May we realize Thy Word is truth. And may we submit and bow to Thee and honor Thee and respect Thee, for Thou art our God and our Father. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Speak to those of our children that are lost, those who are still in rebellion, Lord, deal in their hearts. And we commit them unto You and ask for Your mercy and Your grace.
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In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
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You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMB 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-0990.
#83 | 1:03:25 to 1:03:41 | cleaned
You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com
#84 | 1:03:51 to 1:03:58 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T19:41:00Z

The Fruit of Sin - Part 1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this introductory sermon, John Weaver begins a series on the fruit of sin, focusing on the picture of rebellious children from Isaiah 1:1-9. He emphasizes that sin inevitably produces destructive fruit, both for individuals and nations. The message centers on Isaiah 1:2, where God summons heaven and earth as witnesses against His rebellious people, underscoring the seriousness of their sin. Weaver highlights God's loving provision and the people's rebellion, drawing parallels between parental heartache over rebellious children and God's grief over His people's ingratitude and defiance. The sermon calls for submission and obedience to God, warning that rebellion leads to judgment.

Introduction: The Fruit of Sin

Weaver introduces the series on the fruit of sin, reading Isaiah 1:1-9 and stating that sin produces destructive fruit, as seen in the picture of rebellious children.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:1-9

"The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth. For the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."

Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel into anger.

The Witnesses Summoned

God calls heaven and earth as witnesses against His people because no one among them would stand with Him, highlighting the totality of their rebellion.

Look what God tells Jeremiah.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 5:1-2

"Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now, and know and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that execute a judgment that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. And though they say the Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 5:1-2

"though they say the Lord liveth"

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 30:19

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, watch, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live."

Now, if you would hold Isaiah 1, but look in Jeremiah, chapter 2. Jeremiah, chapter 2. And notice, if you would, what God says, beginning there with verse 11, Jeremiah 2:11. He asked this question,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"Have the nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye desolate, saith the Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

Now look what he said in verse 12.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"Be astonished, oh you heavens, and be horribly afraid. And be ye desolate, saith the Lord."

Why? Because of the rebellion and the sin of his people, he said,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 2:11-13

"they forsaken me, the fountain of living water. And they hewn them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water."

So God is calling the heavens to witness. In Psalm 89:11, you don't have to turn there, but the scripture says this.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:3-5

"Our God shall come and shall not keep silence."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 4:25-26

"When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall remain long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger, watch, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land. Where until you go over Jordan to possess it, you shall not prolong your days upon it, but you shall be utterly destroyed."

The Warning Spoken

The phrase 'the Lord hath spoken' demands absolute silence and attention, as God's word is authoritative and final, carrying the weight of divine inspiration.

Scripture Reading — Micah 1:2

"Hear all ye people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein is, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple."

Now look at that.

Scripture Reading — Micah 1:2

"Hear all you people, hearken, O earth, and all that is therein. Let the Lord God be witness against you."

Here's what he's saying. Shut up and listen. Shut up and listen. Listen to God's controversy. Listen to God's complaint. Look in the book of Micah, chapter 6. Beginning there with verse 1, Micah 6:1.

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"And receive it, not my words. Have one that judges him, the word that I've spoken, the same shall judge him the last day."

Notice, if you would, "he that rejected me," that's Christ, the living word, "and received not my words," that's the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"have one that judges him. The word that I've spoken,"

which is the written word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"the same shall judge him in the last day."

The Wickedness Stated: Rebellious Children

God describes His people as children He nourished and brought up, yet they rebelled against Him, illustrating the heartache of parental love spurned.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 4:22-23

"And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. And I say to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me. And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn."

The Prodigal Son as an Illustration

The parable of the prodigal son exemplifies the demanding, ungrateful, and wasteful nature of rebellious children who misuse their father's blessings.

Misusing God's Blessings

Just as the prodigal son wasted his inheritance, people take God's gifts—health, strength, provision—and pervert them into avenues of sin and rebellion.

God's Longing to Bless the Obedient

From Psalm 81, God expresses His desire to bless His people if they would only listen and obey, but their rebellion forces Him to discipline them instead.

Application: Submission and Obedience

The lesson for children and Christians alike is that submission, obedience, honor, and respect are necessary to receive help and blessing from parents and from God.

The Fruit of Sin - Part 1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1017111453102
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Prepared Hearts
Genre	Sermon
Date	2011-07-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 049: The Fruit of Sin — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	84

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Fruit of Sin: Weaver introduces the series on the fruit of sin, reading Isaiah 1:1-9 and stating that sin produces destructive fruit, as seen in the picture of rebellious children.
The Witnesses Summoned: God calls heaven and earth as witnesses against His people because no one among them would stand with Him, highlighting the totality of their rebellion.
The Warning Spoken: The phrase 'the Lord hath spoken' demands absolute silence and attention, as God's word is authoritative and final, carrying the weight of divine inspiration.
The Wickedness Stated: Rebellious Children: God describes His people as children He nourished and brought up, yet they rebelled against Him, illustrating the heartache of parental love spurned.
The Prodigal Son as an Illustration: The parable of the prodigal son exemplifies the demanding, ungrateful, and wasteful nature of rebellious children who misuse their father's blessings.
Misusing God's Blessings: Just as the prodigal son wasted his inheritance, people take God's gifts—health, strength, provision—and pervert them into avenues of sin and rebellion.
God's Longing to Bless the Obedient: From Psalm 81, God expresses His desire to bless His people if they would only listen and obey, but their rebellion forces Him to discipline them instead.
Application: Submission and Obedience: The lesson for children and Christians alike is that submission, obedience, honor, and respect are necessary to receive help and blessing from parents and from God.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Sin's consequences are inescapable

Just as sowing leads to reaping, sin leads to death, and no one can avoid the harvest of their actions.

Weaver quotes Galatians 6:7-8 and Proverbs 1:31 to show that God's law of sowing and reaping applies universally.

God summons heaven and earth as witnesses because of total corruption

The nation was so corrupt that not one righteous person could be found to stand with God, necessitating creation itself as witness.

Jeremiah 5:1: 'Run you to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem... if you can find a man... I will pardon it.'

Heaven and earth always side with their Creator

Because God created heaven and earth, they will always stand with Him, whether as witnesses against sin, for prosecution, or in rejoicing over His judgments.

Weaver cites Deuteronomy 10:14 and Isaiah 48:13 to show God's ownership, and Psalm 50:3-5 for prosecution.

God's spoken word demands silence and submission

When God speaks, especially in anger, all creation must be silent; His word is not advice but the command of the sovereign God.

Habakkuk 2:20: 'But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him.'

Rebellion is a personal affront to God's fatherly love

God's nourishment and exaltation of Israel make their rebellion a deeply personal betrayal, akin to a child spurning a loving parent.

The Hebrew words for 'nourished' and 'brought up' imply promotion, dignity, and honor, yet they 'rebelled'—broke away violently.

Depravity is hereditary; grace is not

Even godly parenting cannot guarantee righteous children; only God's grace can overcome inherited depravity.

The story of Pastor Isaac Case's son, who said, 'Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.'

Scripture References

Isaiah 1:1-9: The main text of the sermon, describing the vision of Isaiah concerning Judah and Jerusalem's sinful state.
Galatians 6:7-8: Used to establish the principle that whatever a man sows, he will reap, particularly sowing to the flesh reaping corruption.
Proverbs 1:31: Quoted to show that people will eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices.
Romans 6:23: Cited to affirm that the wages of sin is death.
James 1:13-15: Explains the process of temptation, lust, sin, and death, emphasizing that God does not tempt anyone.
Hosea 13:9: Quoted to show that Israel destroyed themselves through their sin.
Jeremiah 5:1-2: God challenges Jeremiah to find one righteous man in Jerusalem, illustrating total corruption.
Deuteronomy 30:19: God calls heaven and earth to record the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing.
Jeremiah 2:11-13: God calls the heavens to be astonished at His people's evil of forsaking Him, the fountain of living waters.
Psalm 50:3-5: God calls heaven and earth as witnesses for the prosecution to judge His people.
Deuteronomy 4:25-26: God warns that if they corrupt themselves, heaven and earth will witness their utter destruction.
1 Chronicles 16:31: The heavens and earth rejoice because the Lord reigns.
Psalm 69:34-35: Heaven and earth praise God for His salvation of Zion.
Jeremiah 4:28: The earth mourns and heavens become black because of God's purposed judgment.
Micah 1:2: God calls all people and the earth to hear His witness against them.
Micah 6:1-2: God calls the mountains and foundations of the earth to hear His controversy with His people.
John 12:48: Jesus says that His word will judge those who reject Him, showing the unity of Christ and Scripture.
Exodus 4:22-23: God calls Israel His son, His firstborn, establishing the father-child relationship.
Deuteronomy 32:6: God asks if He is not their Father who bought, made, and established them.
Luke 15:12-16: The parable of the prodigal son illustrates a rebellious child demanding his inheritance and wasting it.

Historical References

John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress: Weaver reads a scene where Pilgrim cries out 'What must I do to be saved?' illustrating the weight of sin and coming judgment.
Voltaire's prediction about the Bible: The French atheist Voltaire predicted Christianity's demise within 100 years, but shortly after his death, the American Bible Society printed thousands of Bibles from his former house.
Pastor Isaac Case (1761-1852): A Baptist pastor in Maine who planted churches and baptized many, yet had a grown son who refused to attend church, illustrating that grace is not hereditary.
Dr. A.R. Crane's 1904 paper: Presented to the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention, listing Pastor Isaac Case as one of the most important pastors with great power with God.

Important Quotes

Sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay.

A pithy summary of sin's deceptive and destructive nature, setting the tone for the sermon.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Quoted from Galatians 6:7 to establish the unbreakable law of sowing and reaping.

Inspiration is the strong, conscious, in-breathing of God into man, thus qualifying him to give utterance to the truth so that the words which they wrote and spoke were and are indeed the very words of God himself.

Weaver's definition of biblical inspiration, emphasizing the divine origin of Scripture.

Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.

The response of Pastor Case's son, highlighting the necessity of personal grace for salvation.

I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

The central text of the sermon (Isaiah 1:2), encapsulating God's fatherly heartbreak over Israel's rebellion.

Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.

From Psalm 81:10, expressing God's readiness to bless abundantly if His people would only obey.

Oh, that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way!

God's lament over missed blessings due to Israel's disobedience, showing His loving desire.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways do we, like Israel, take God's blessings and misuse them for sinful purposes?

[Context]

Weaver describes how Israel took God's provision and perverted it into idolatry and immorality (Jeremiah 5:7).

[Question]

How does understanding the doctrine of inspiration change the way we read and respond to Scripture?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that all Scripture is God-breathed and carries the full authority of God Himself.

[Question]

Why does God call heaven and earth as witnesses against His people, and what does that teach us about the seriousness of sin?

[Context]

God summons creation because no human witness would stand with Him, showing the depth of national corruption.

[Question]

What can parents learn from God's example of dealing with rebellious children?

[Context]

Weaver draws parallels between God's heartache and parental heartache, and discusses the limits of helping rebellious children.

[Question]

How does the story of Pastor Isaac Case's son illustrate the limits of godly upbringing without personal conversion?

[Context]

Despite a godly father, the son remained unregenerate, stating 'Grace is not hereditary. Depravity is.'

[Question]

In what areas of life are we tempted to demand our 'inheritance' from God while rejecting His authority, like the prodigal son?

[Context]

The prodigal son demanded his portion and left, symbolizing a heart that wants God's gifts without God's rule.

Applications

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