Bailey Methodist Church
8/10/2025
  • Gospel Mash Up Medley
  • O Worship The King (Lyons)
  • Majesty, Worship His Majesty
  • How Great Is Our God
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • Hebrews 11:1–3 ESV
    1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
    Hebrews 11:8–16 ESV
    8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
    Luke 12:32–40 ESV
    32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
    Isaiah 1:1 ESV
    1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
    Isaiah 1:10–20 ESV
    10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. 12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. 18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
    Introduction
    Worship is meant to be the most sacred expression of our love for God. When we gather, we come to sing, pray, read Scripture, and give our offerings. But what happens when God says, “I want none of it”? What occurs when the God we seek to honor actually finds our worship offensive?
    In Isaiah 1:10–20, God speaks to His own people—not outsiders or idolaters, but those who believe they are fulfilling their religious duties correctly. Yet, He refers to them as “rulers of Sodom” and “people of Gomorrah,” terms associated with judgment and evil. Why would God call His covenant people by such names? Because their worship had become mere performance, disconnected from justice and righteousness.
    This passage presents us with a sobering truth: God is not impressed by religious routines. He desires worship that comes from transformed hearts and just lives. Let’s explore this passage in three parts.

    1. God Rejects Empty Religion (vs. 10–15)

    Isaiah 1:10-15 presents one of the most striking indictments in all of Scripture. The shift from verse 9 to verse 10 is particularly dramatic. In verse 9, Isaiah affirms that God’s mercy spared Judah from the destruction of Sodom. However, in verse 10, he addresses Judah’s leaders as if they were Sodom and Gomorrah: “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!” This is more than just a metaphor; it is a divine accusation. Though Judah still stood, its moral and spiritual condition mirrored that of the cities God had destroyed.
    Why such a harsh comparison? Isaiah identifies two primary sins: the oppression of the vulnerable and corrupted worship. Widows and orphans were neglected (vs. 16–17), while temple rituals had become offensive to God (vs. 11–15). Other prophets echo the same critique. Ezekiel 16 states that Sodom’s guilt was pride and failure to help the poor. Jeremiah 23 and 2 Kings 21 describe how Judah, under King Manasseh, embraced idolatry, rebuilt pagan altars, and shed innocent blood—even in the temple courts.
    Some might protest: “But Judah worshiped the true God!” Indeed, they continued to offer sacrifices at the temple. Yet Isaiah reveals that even these acts had become indistinguishable from pagan rituals. God says in verse 11, “These are your sacrifices—not Mine.” The rituals, sacrifices, incense, and feasts were not simply ineffective; they were detestable. The language Isaiah uses, false, abominable, deceitful, is usually reserved for idol worship. The issue wasn’t the form of worship but the condition of the heart. Their hands were full of blood, and their worship was tainted by injustice.
    God’s response is blunt and emotional: “My soul hates your new moons and your appointed feasts.” What once pleased Him now repulses Him. Their rituals did not honor God; instead, they became a burden to Him. When they prayed and lifted their hands, God said He would not listen. Why? Because their worship was built on a foundation of hypocrisy and violence.
    The tragedy lies not only in their sin but also in their assumption that religious activity could cover it. They believed that temple attendance, offerings, and prayers could substitute for righteousness and justice. However, God will not be mocked or manipulated. He desires holiness, not hollow ceremony.
    This passage confronts every generation with the same piercing question: Is my worship acceptable to God? Do I go through the motions of religion while tolerating sin, ignoring the needy, or clinging to bitterness and pride? The people of Judah assumed that using the correct forms of worship in the right place would protect them. But God saw through the facade, and He still does today. We may sing sound theology, give generously, and attend church faithfully. But if our hearts are unrepentant and our lives ignore God’s call to justice, our worship becomes polluted.
    Isaiah’s warning is clear and timeless: Worship that is not rooted in righteousness, humility, and compassion is not merely meaningless; it is offensive to God. He does not desire more noise or additional offerings. He seeks worshipers whose lives reflect His justice and whose hearts pulse with His mercy. The psalmist says in Psalm 50:23, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
    The same God who brought His people out of Egypt calls us today—not just to sing to Him but to walk with Him in holiness. He will not accept empty religion. He calls us to worship in spirit and truth, with lives that embody His grace and righteousness.

    2. God Desires Repentant Hearts and Just Lives (vs. 16–17)

    In Isaiah 1:16-17, God calls His people to a form of repentance that goes beyond mere rituals or words. After condemning the emptiness of their worship in the preceding verses, He provides a clear and practical path to genuine transformation. The process begins with a call to "wash yourselves; make yourselves clean," indicating that the people are spiritually dirty, polluted by sin and injustice. Like David in Psalm 51, who pleads, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin,” the people are urged to acknowledge their guilt and seek inner cleansing.
    However, repentance in Isaiah is never solely about ceasing bad behavior; it also encompasses a positive and outward dimension. After commanding the people to "cease to do evil," God instructs them to "learn to do good." Righteousness is not automatic; it must be cultivated through discipleship and moral formation. But what does this goodness entail? Verse 17 offers specific, practical guidance: “Seek justice, correct oppression, take up the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” These actions are not vague ideals but concrete expressions of God’s heart.
    To “seek justice” means actively pursuing it. Justice does not occur spontaneously; it requires deliberate effort and advocacy. The instruction to “correct oppression” (literally, “make straight the ruthless”) implies confronting oppressors and setting wrongs right. Additionally, God's people are called to advocate for the vulnerable: to take up the cause of orphans and plead the cases of widows. In ancient Israel, these individuals represented some of the most vulnerable members of society, and their treatment became a measure of the people’s faithfulness to God.
    This vision is echoed in the New Testament. James 1:27 states, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Thus, Isaiah’s call for righteous action is affirmed as central to biblical faith. Worship is not pleasing to God unless it stems from a cleansed heart and a life that embodies His justice.
    Isaiah 1 reminds us that true repentance is neither solely internal nor emotional; it is also ethical and public. God does not delight in superficial acts of worship. As Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” However, that broken heart must lead to restored relationships and a transformed way of living, particularly toward the marginalized and oppressed.
    This passage invites us to examine our own repentance. Is it limited to quiet moments of confession, or does it motivate us to engage in concrete acts of compassion and justice? Have we not only ceased doing wrong but also begun doing right? Are we actively advocating for those without power, or are we avoiding the discomfort of their need?
    God desires not more offerings or louder songs, but lives that reflect His heart. Repentance is only genuine when it results in righteousness—not just in words, but in actions. This is the worship God truly desires; this is the repentance He accepts.

    3. God Offers Grace, But Demands a Choice (vs. 18–20)

    Isaiah 1:18–20 brings the first chapter of Isaiah to a powerful conclusion. After a series of sharp indictments against Judah for their hypocrisy and injustice, God extends a gracious and unexpected invitation: “Come now, let us reason together.” The language used here is both legal and relational—God summons His people not to a trial, but to reconciliation. He invites them to meet with Him to settle the matter of their guilt. It is a call to be restored through mercy, not to be crushed under judgment.
    What makes this invitation so astonishing is the imagery Isaiah employs to describe sin and forgiveness. The people’s sins are likened to scarlet and crimson—colors that symbolize deep, permanent stains, derived from a red dye made from the tôlāʿ worm. In ancient times, this dye was virtually impossible to remove. Yet God declares that these stains can be made “as white as snow,” “as wool.” This is not a promise of superficial improvement, but instead of total cleansing—transforming deep, vivid sin into spotless purity.
    However, this offer is not without conditions. God places a choice before His people. “If you are willing and obedient,” He says in verse 19, “you shall eat the good of the land.” Yet then comes the warning: “If you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.” The wordplay is intentional and haunting: they can either enjoy the blessings of the land or face the consequences of judgment. The choice appears simple on the surface, but demands much on a spiritual level.
    This moment illustrates the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God initiates the invitation, desires repentance, and even outlines the blessings that will follow. Yet He does not force obedience. The people must respond; they must choose to repent, to turn, and to live. It is a moment filled with grace but also with gravity. The stakes are high because the God who invites them is also the One who declares the consequences: “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
    This passage resonates powerfully with Hebrews 9:14, which states that “the blood of Christ… will purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Just as Isaiah’s audience was invited to be cleansed from sin, we, through Christ, are offered something even greater. The blood of Jesus not only removes outward guilt; it also purifies us internally so that we can live lives of active service and true worship. It calls us out of hollow religion and into wholehearted devotion.
    Isaiah’s words compel us to examine our response to God’s invitation. We may desire forgiveness and blessings, but are we willing to embrace the obedience that accompanies them? True repentance costs something—it always does. It requires humility, surrender, and a willingness to turn away from the comforts of sin.
    Yet, the offer remains: we can be cleansed. We can be transformed. We can move from scarlet shame to radiant purity—but only if we are willing and obedient. God will not coerce us, but He longs for us to come, to reason with Him, and to receive the mercy that only He can provide.
    The choice is clear, but it is not light. Will we obey and receive life, or resist and face ruin? The mouth of the Lord has spoken. His Word is sure. The invitation is real. The next move is ours.
    Conclusion: True Worship Starts with the Heart
    Isaiah 1:10–20 serves as a warning against false worship rather than a condemnation of worship itself. It emphasizes that God cannot be manipulated by rituals; He sees our hearts and hears the cries of the oppressed. God cares about how we live once we leave the sanctuary.
    This passage acts as both a mirror and a window:
    A mirror for self-examination: Are we guilty of performing religious acts without genuine repentance
    A window into God’s heart: He detests hypocrisy but delights in mercy and grace.
    God is calling His people back—not to perform more rituals, but to embrace true righteousness. “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”
    Let us not be like Sodom in both name and action while pretending to be followers of God. Instead, let us worship not only in song but also in spirit and truth—with justice, love, and lives surrendered to His mercy. mercy.

      • Isaiah 1:1ESV

      • Isaiah 1:10–20ESV

      • Psalm 50:23ESV

      • Psalm 51:17ESV

      • James 1:27ESV

      • Hebrews 9:14ESV

  • Take Time to Be Holy
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