1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:08,240 Well, we’re returning today to our series entitled Crisis Facing the Unexpected. We’re 2 00:00:08,240 –> 00:00:15,300 in Isiah and chapter 38, and this chapter tells the story of a godly king, Hezekiah, 3 00:00:15,300 –> 00:00:24,020 who faced an unexpected crisis. Suddenly, right in the middle of this man’s life, he 4 00:00:24,059 –> 00:00:31,980 was afflicted by an illness that brought him to the very point of death. So that in verse 5 00:00:31,980 –> 00:00:39,099 1 of this chapter, Isaiah the prophet comes and he says, set your house in order, for 6 00:00:39,099 –> 00:00:47,080 you will die, you will not recover. Now, the thing that’s important to remember in the 7 00:00:47,540 –> 00:00:56,439 story is that Hezekiah was a godly king. The Bible says of him, he trusted in the Lord, 8 00:00:56,439 –> 00:01:03,720 the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after 9 00:01:03,720 –> 00:01:11,720 him, nor among those who were before him. So, what we learn here is that godly people 10 00:01:12,440 –> 00:01:19,320 suffer. You see that in the story of Hezekiah. You see that, of course, in the story of Job in 11 00:01:19,320 –> 00:01:25,639 the Old Testament. And you see it, of course, supremely in the life and ministry of our Lord 12 00:01:25,639 –> 00:01:33,160 and Savior Jesus Christ. So, we’re looking at the story of a godly king. And here’s the question, 13 00:01:33,239 –> 00:01:43,800 how did this godly king respond to this crisis? Well, he prayed—verse 2. Hezekiah turned his face 14 00:01:43,800 –> 00:01:51,480 to the wall, and he prayed to the Lord. Isaiah, the prophet, then left the king’s bedroom, 15 00:01:52,120 –> 00:01:58,360 headed home after his visit to the king. But before he had even left the palace, 16 00:01:59,080 –> 00:02:03,559 the word of God came to him a second time. Verse 5, 17 00:02:03,559 –> 00:02:11,399 Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, 18 00:02:12,279 –> 00:02:20,759 I have seen your tears, and, behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 19 00:02:21,960 –> 00:02:28,119 So this is a wonderful story about a remarkable answer to prayer. 20 00:02:28,919 –> 00:02:37,559 But its particular value for us is that after he recovered, Hezekiah wrote 21 00:02:37,559 –> 00:02:46,839 down a candid confession of what he experienced, what he went through as he walked through this 22 00:02:46,839 –> 00:02:55,960 unexpected crisis in his life. And what Hezekiah experienced in this crisis recorded here 23 00:02:56,600 –> 00:03:06,360 matches exactly what we’re experiencing right here and now today. We saw last time that 24 00:03:06,360 –> 00:03:14,440 Hezekiah felt fragile, that he felt anxious, that he felt weary, that he feared being separated from 25 00:03:14,440 –> 00:03:20,520 the people he loved. He feared his life being cut off, being cut short. And he even feared 26 00:03:20,520 –> 00:03:27,800 the possibility that God himself might even be against him. So last time we looked at 27 00:03:27,800 –> 00:03:35,240 his anguish and saw how his experience speaks very much to ours and how we must let our anguish 28 00:03:35,240 –> 00:03:43,000 lead us to Jesus. Now today what I want us to see in these next verses, verses 15 to 17 that we’re 29 00:03:43,000 –> 00:03:49,880 looking at today. I want us to see Hezekiah’s faith and we’re going to learn three things 30 00:03:49,880 –> 00:03:55,399 about faith together. First that in a crisis, our faith will be tested. Then we’re going to 31 00:03:55,399 –> 00:04:03,720 see how your faith can be strengthened and how your faith can be assured. So first then, faith 32 00:04:04,279 –> 00:04:12,279 tested and here we’re looking at verse 15. What shall I say for he that is God has spoken to 33 00:04:12,279 –> 00:04:25,399 me and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. 34 00:04:27,000 –> 00:04:37,799 Now, when you go through an unexpected crisis your faith will be tested. Remember that Hezekiah 35 00:04:37,799 –> 00:04:43,720 is writing after he recovered from the illness. We have that in verse 9, 36 00:04:44,519 –> 00:04:52,040 and looking back he’s full of thanksgiving. What shall I say, he says, because God has spoken 37 00:04:52,040 –> 00:04:57,559 and God has done what he said. The words that God spoke of course are recorded in verse 5. 38 00:04:57,559 –> 00:05:01,959 God said, I have heard your prayer and I will add 15 years to your life. 39 00:05:02,920 –> 00:05:11,640 And God did what he said. He has spoken to me and he himself has done it. God healed him. 40 00:05:12,600 –> 00:05:19,880 God brought him back from the very point of death, and when he recovered hezekiah’s rejoicing 41 00:05:19,880 –> 00:05:26,200 in answered prayer, but when he was going through the crisis it was a different story. 42 00:05:27,160 –> 00:05:29,320 Look at what he tells us, honestly. 43 00:05:42,119 –> 00:05:50,040 You see, when this godly king suffered, he struggled with bitterness. In fact, 44 00:05:50,040 –> 00:05:54,040 verse 17 says he struggled with great bitterness. 45 00:06:14,119 –> 00:06:15,480 That’s what this king is saying. 46 00:06:20,279 –> 00:06:30,440 because of the bitterness of my soul.” Now friends, I love the honesty of this. 47 00:06:31,880 –> 00:06:36,600 This man doesn’t come out of the crisis and then look back and say, 48 00:06:36,600 –> 00:06:43,000 Oh yes, of course, when I was afflicted, I just trusted the Lord. No, he tells us the truth. 49 00:06:43,559 –> 00:06:56,440 When I was afflicted, I struggled with bitterness. Why me, Lord? What in the world are you doing? 50 00:06:58,279 –> 00:07:05,559 He’s telling us that when he was afflicted, a battle raged within his own soul. 51 00:07:06,040 –> 00:07:13,920 He trusted God, yes, but when the crisis came, trusting God wasn’t so easy. 52 00:07:13,920 –> 00:07:21,799 Now perhaps there’s been a time when your faith has been tested. 53 00:07:21,799 –> 00:07:26,440 Perhaps you are finding that your faith is being tested right now, 54 00:07:26,440 –> 00:07:34,040 and you’re wishing that you are doing better, and if that has been your experience, 55 00:07:34,920 –> 00:07:42,720 would it help you to know that it was the same for the most godly King in the Old 56 00:07:42,720 –> 00:07:49,559 Testament? Hezekiah did not come out of this crisis with some kind of a note of 57 00:07:49,559 –> 00:07:56,480 triumph. He has to confess honestly that when he suffered, he found that his faith 58 00:07:56,480 –> 00:08:05,320 was not as strong as he thought. I had great bitterness!” That’s the confession of 59 00:08:05,320 –> 00:08:15,440 this godly King. His faith was tested. And friends, when you face an unexpected 60 00:08:15,440 –> 00:08:23,660 crisis, your faith is going to be tested, too, but I want you to notice what 61 00:08:23,720 –> 00:08:34,520 Hezekiah says in verse 17. Behold, he says, it was for my welfare that I had great 62 00:08:34,520 –> 00:08:43,400 bitterness. In other words, he’s saying God used even this for good. God used the 63 00:08:43,400 –> 00:08:49,340 exposure of the weakness of my faith for good. This is like Romans 8 28 in the Old 64 00:08:49,340 –> 00:08:56,840 Testament. God works in all things for our good. Even when we find that the 65 00:08:56,840 –> 00:09:02,760 weakness of our own faith is exposed, what Hezekiah is saying here is God 66 00:09:02,760 –> 00:09:11,460 used that for my welfare – for my welfare – I had great bitterness. Now how could 67 00:09:11,460 –> 00:09:19,340 God use this man’s bitterness for his own good? The answer is in verse 15. 68 00:09:19,340 –> 00:09:24,140 Looking back at the bitterness that he felt, Hezekiah says, 69 00:09:24,140 –> 00:09:34,059 I walked slowly all my years. Now, walked slowly here simply means 70 00:09:34,059 –> 00:09:39,640 walked humbly. Some versions of the Bible translate this phrase that way. 71 00:09:39,799 –> 00:09:47,380 I walk humbly all of my years. In other words, here’s what he’s saying. 72 00:09:47,380 –> 00:09:54,059 I used to think that my faith was strong, but when the unexpected crisis came, 73 00:09:54,059 –> 00:09:59,960 I didn’t do so well. I wish I could look back and say I trusted 74 00:09:59,960 –> 00:10:07,340 God all the way. But I can’t say that. I have to tell you that there was great 75 00:10:07,359 –> 00:10:17,320 bitterness in my soul. But God used even this for my welfare. 76 00:10:17,320 –> 00:10:23,500 God used it to humble me. I’m done with priding myself on the strength 77 00:10:23,500 –> 00:10:30,640 of my faith. From now on, I will walk humbly, I will walk slowly, 78 00:10:30,960 –> 00:10:39,059 of my years. You know, friends, pride lurks in all of 79 00:10:39,059 –> 00:10:48,559 our hearts, and spiritual pride is its very worst form. 80 00:10:48,559 –> 00:10:57,960 And God may use a crisis to humble you. God may use this crisis to humble all of us. 81 00:10:58,039 –> 00:11:01,159 But he may do it by showing us that our faith is not as 82 00:11:01,159 –> 00:11:06,119 strong as we’d like to think. Do you remember that that is exactly what 83 00:11:06,119 –> 00:11:11,200 happened to Peter? At the Last Supper, Jesus says to 84 00:11:11,200 –> 00:11:17,320 the disciples, Where I am going, you cannot come. 85 00:11:17,320 –> 00:11:20,520 And Peter’s so confident about the strength of his faith, 86 00:11:20,520 –> 00:11:24,679 oh, you know, these others, they may be weak, but I’m a man of great faith, 87 00:11:24,919 –> 00:11:27,880 one who’s committed to the pursuit of godliness. 88 00:11:27,880 –> 00:11:31,719 And so Peter says to Jesus, Why can’t I follow you? 89 00:11:31,719 –> 00:11:37,239 I will lay down my life for you. You see, he thought his faith was 90 00:11:37,239 –> 00:11:41,880 so strong, but you remember the story how later 91 00:11:41,880 –> 00:11:46,919 that night it only took a servant girl to be asking him, Aren’t you one of the 92 00:11:46,919 –> 00:11:50,520 disciples of Jesus? And then Peter discovered that his 93 00:11:51,080 –> 00:11:55,960 was not nearly as strong as he liked to think. 94 00:11:55,960 –> 00:12:03,719 God used this to humble Peter to make this very self-confident 95 00:12:03,719 –> 00:12:08,599 man more like the Lord Jesus Christ. 96 00:12:08,599 –> 00:12:13,320 And that’s why later in the New Testament, amazingly, 97 00:12:13,320 –> 00:12:21,080 you find Peter, the gentle pastor, writing these words, 98 00:12:21,080 –> 00:12:23,960 humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s 99 00:12:23,960 –> 00:12:28,200 mighty hand, that in due time he may lift you up. 100 00:12:28,200 –> 00:12:31,400 You say, Peter wrote that? Humble yourself? Yes. How? 101 00:12:31,400 –> 00:12:34,840 Because God used the exposure of the weakness of his faith 102 00:12:34,840 –> 00:12:42,520 to make him more like Jesus. So here’s the principle. 103 00:12:42,599 –> 00:12:49,080 An unexpected crisis will test your faith, 104 00:12:49,080 –> 00:12:57,719 and God can use this to make you more like Jesus. 105 00:12:57,719 –> 00:13:01,320 So, if you come to a time in your life when your faith 106 00:13:01,320 –> 00:13:08,039 is tested and you don’t do so well, let that experience humble you. 107 00:13:08,119 –> 00:13:13,080 Let it show you how much you need Jesus, 108 00:13:13,080 –> 00:13:19,080 and then thank God that your salvation does not depend on the 109 00:13:19,080 –> 00:13:25,799 strength of your faith, but on the strength of your Savior. 110 00:13:25,799 –> 00:13:31,320 That’s the first thing. Faith tested. And that’s going to be our 111 00:13:31,320 –> 00:13:35,880 experience. It is our experience today. Now, here’s 112 00:13:35,880 –> 00:13:38,760 the second thing that’s very important, and we have to get to 113 00:13:38,760 –> 00:13:43,159 it. How, then, will faith be strengthened? And I want you to 114 00:13:43,159 –> 00:13:48,280 see from the story how the tested faith of Hezekiah was 115 00:13:48,280 –> 00:13:52,440 strengthened, and how our faith can be strengthened today. Look 116 00:13:52,440 –> 00:13:54,599 at verse 16 with me, if you would. 117 00:13:54,599 –> 00:14:01,400 Oh Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things 118 00:14:01,400 –> 00:14:09,159 is the life of my spirit. Oh, restore me to health and make 119 00:14:09,799 –> 00:14:19,960 me live. Now, it’s hard to be certain of the precise order 120 00:14:19,960 –> 00:14:26,359 of events in the story, but I think that this is the most 121 00:14:27,320 –> 00:14:34,039 reconstruction. Let me describe the flow of the story to you. 122 00:14:34,039 –> 00:14:39,080 Hezekiah becomes sick, verse 1, to the very point of death. 123 00:14:39,960 –> 00:14:44,840 Despite being a godly man, he struggles with great bitterness. 124 00:14:46,280 –> 00:14:51,080 Isaiah the prophet visits him. He comes into his bedroom and says, 125 00:14:51,080 –> 00:14:54,200 verse 2, set your house in order, because you are going to die. 126 00:14:54,280 –> 00:14:55,400 You’re not going to recover. 127 00:14:57,239 –> 00:15:04,440 The king then turns his face to the wall. He prays and he weeps bitterly. 128 00:15:05,400 –> 00:15:08,200 Isaiah the prophet is on his way home, leaving the palace, 129 00:15:08,200 –> 00:15:13,080 but he hasn’t even got beyond the boundaries of the palace when God speaks to him again, 130 00:15:13,080 –> 00:15:17,400 go back to Hezekiah. And so Isaiah the prophet comes 131 00:15:17,400 –> 00:15:21,400 back into the king’s bedroom and speaks the word of God, 132 00:15:21,400 –> 00:15:29,000 verse five, I have heard your prayer. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 133 00:15:30,280 –> 00:15:35,400 And then Hezekiah prays in the light of that with new faith 134 00:15:35,400 –> 00:15:40,280 and with new confidence, the words that we’re looking at right now in verse sixteen. 135 00:15:40,280 –> 00:15:47,239 Oh, restore me to health. And make me live 136 00:15:47,239 –> 00:15:53,880 Now notice the pattern as we look at these verses. God speaks in verse fifteen. 137 00:15:53,880 –> 00:15:58,359 And verse five tells us what He says, I’ll give fifteen years to your life 138 00:15:58,359 –> 00:16:04,359 and your prayer is heard, your prayer is going to be answered. God speaks in verse fifteen 139 00:16:04,359 –> 00:16:11,799 and the response of the King is He prays in verse sixteen. Oh, restore me to health 140 00:16:12,760 –> 00:16:20,440 and make me live. Now here we learn something very important then about how faith is strengthened. 141 00:16:20,440 –> 00:16:25,559 Remember the King has struggled, he’s been facing great bitterness. How then is his 142 00:16:25,559 –> 00:16:33,159 faith strengthened in this struggle? Well, first faith is strengthened by the word of God. 143 00:16:34,119 –> 00:16:40,679 How did Hezekiah overcome this bitterness? And when a crisis comes to you and you discover 144 00:16:40,760 –> 00:16:45,000 that your faith is not nearly as strong as you thought that it was, 145 00:16:45,000 –> 00:16:51,000 how is help going to come to you? Well, the answer to that question is that faith is 146 00:16:51,000 –> 00:16:57,880 strengthened by the word of God. Man shall not live, our Lord Jesus said, by bread alone, 147 00:16:57,880 –> 00:17:05,239 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Your faith will be 148 00:17:05,239 –> 00:17:09,239 strengthened by the word of God. That’s why when you’re in a crisis, 149 00:17:09,239 –> 00:17:14,760 you need the Word of God to be drip-fed into your life. That’s why we open up the 150 00:17:14,760 –> 00:17:20,920 word of God right now today, because by this means, God will strengthen your faith when 151 00:17:20,920 –> 00:17:25,800 you’re struggling with bitterness. But then notice something else very important 152 00:17:25,800 –> 00:17:35,640 about faith that we learn here. Faith prays for what God has promised. God speaks in verse 15, 153 00:17:35,640 –> 00:17:40,280 the promise recorded in verse 5, I’m going to add 15 years to your life, 154 00:17:40,280 –> 00:17:47,719 and what does Hezekiah do? He prays in response to that promise. 155 00:17:47,719 –> 00:17:55,000 Faith praise for what God has promised. Lord, you say you’re going to add 15 years to my life? Do it. 156 00:17:55,880 –> 00:18:07,479 Heal me. Make me live. Give me these extra 15 years. 157 00:18:07,479 –> 00:18:14,140 Now, I spoke last time about my pastor, Derek Prime. One of the things that I learned 158 00:18:14,140 –> 00:18:20,439 from him, and that he said very, very often was this-Always pray with an open Bible. 159 00:18:21,140 –> 00:18:29,819 I’m so thankful for that. always pray with an open Bible. In other words, look 160 00:18:29,819 –> 00:18:38,000 at what God has promised and then turn what God promises into your prayers. 161 00:18:38,000 –> 00:18:45,359 That’s exactly what Hezekiah models for us here. When you see that God has 162 00:18:45,540 –> 00:18:51,579 promised something in the Bible, the right response to that is to pray that 163 00:18:51,579 –> 00:18:57,619 what He promises will be yours and that you will know it in your own 164 00:18:57,619 –> 00:19:03,520 experience. This is what faith does, it prays for 165 00:19:03,520 –> 00:19:09,719 what God promises. And let me give you some examples. So you’re reading through 166 00:19:09,719 –> 00:19:13,640 let’s say the book of Philippians and you come to Philippians chapter 4 and 167 00:19:14,199 –> 00:19:21,160 verse 17, and it says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! 168 00:19:21,160 –> 00:19:27,079 And you say, look at that, Christ gives strength. Now what are you going to do at 169 00:19:27,079 –> 00:19:31,579 that point? You’ve read this in the Bible. Are you going to say, oh, that’s nice! 170 00:19:31,579 –> 00:19:37,680 God gives strength and carry on? No. Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re 171 00:19:37,800 –> 00:19:44,540 going to say, Lord, I see in your Word that you give strength. I see that you 172 00:19:44,540 –> 00:19:50,400 give strength for particular situations, and I’m asking that you will give me the 173 00:19:50,400 –> 00:19:56,079 strength to bear the burden that I carry at this time. That’s turning God’s 174 00:19:56,079 –> 00:20:02,040 promise into your prayer. Or, to give another example, I read in 1st Peter 175 00:20:02,040 –> 00:20:10,160 1 and verse 8, about people who love Christ and believe in him and they have 176 00:20:10,160 –> 00:20:20,439 an inexpressibly glorious joy. Now, what am I to do when I read that? Am I to say, 177 00:20:20,439 –> 00:20:25,479 oh, so some Christians have more joy than they can put into words, that’s really 178 00:20:25,479 –> 00:20:34,880 nice. No, I’m to say, Lord, if it’s possible for others to have an 179 00:20:34,880 –> 00:20:42,839 inexpressible joy because they know you and because they love you, I want more of 180 00:20:42,839 –> 00:20:47,119 that joy in my life. Will you give me more of that joy? And then I’m going to 181 00:20:47,119 –> 00:20:51,199 look in the scripture to say is there any clue here as to why they had that 182 00:20:51,319 –> 00:20:56,079 joy? How they came about having that joy? And I’m going to see in the versus that 183 00:20:56,079 –> 00:21:00,520 come just before it that they know they have a risen savior, that they have a 184 00:21:00,520 –> 00:21:05,219 living hope and that they have a glorious inheritance. And then the light 185 00:21:05,219 –> 00:21:12,199 of that they have an inexpressible joy. Lord, help me then to see the value that 186 00:21:12,199 –> 00:21:17,920 is mine in Jesus Christ. That even in the hardest circumstances of life I will 187 00:21:18,280 –> 00:21:26,040 joy in what you have given to me in and through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 188 00:21:26,880 –> 00:21:34,420 When you see in the Scripture that God promises to forgive, the right response 189 00:21:34,420 –> 00:21:38,400 to that isn’t to say oh what there’s a good thing God promises to forgive. No, it 190 00:21:38,400 –> 00:21:46,040 is to say Lord as I repent of this sin will you forgive me. You turn God’s 191 00:21:46,199 –> 00:21:54,040 promises into prayer that’s what faith does. Faith prays with an open Bible and 192 00:21:54,040 –> 00:22:00,540 turns what God has promised into prayer, so that it will become part of your own 193 00:22:00,540 –> 00:22:05,119 experience. So here’s what we’re learning together from this Scripture. It’s very 194 00:22:05,119 –> 00:22:13,280 important especially in these days when you face an unexpected crisis, your faith 195 00:22:13,300 –> 00:22:20,640 will be tested. It really will. And here’s how your tested faith is going to be 196 00:22:20,640 –> 00:22:28,040 strengthened. Faith is strengthened by the Word of God. Make sure it’s being 197 00:22:28,040 –> 00:22:37,500 fed into your life. And then faith will pray for what God has promised. The 198 00:22:37,500 –> 00:22:42,060 promises of God will strengthen your faith and your faith strengthened will 199 00:22:42,079 –> 00:22:50,180 then turn the promises into prayers. So that what God promises will actually 200 00:22:50,180 –> 00:22:59,099 become yours. So we’ve looked at faith tested and we’ve looked at faith 201 00:22:59,099 –> 00:23:06,599 strengthened. And now thirdly I want us to look at faith assured. And verse 17. 202 00:23:07,180 –> 00:23:18,119 In love, oh this is such a marvelous verse. In love, you have delivered my life 203 00:23:18,119 –> 00:23:30,359 from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. 204 00:23:31,160 –> 00:23:36,599 Well, will you pause and just try and take that in with me right now? 205 00:23:38,680 –> 00:23:46,439 You know, when you face an unexpected crisis and your faith is tested, here are three things that 206 00:23:46,439 –> 00:23:59,000 you can always say for sure. The first is, I am loved. In love, in love, 207 00:24:00,680 –> 00:24:11,959 you have delivered my life. Literally translated, the words here are you loved me out of the pit. 208 00:24:12,040 –> 00:24:16,280 That beautiful? God loved me out of the pit. 209 00:24:19,160 –> 00:24:25,880 Nothing in life is surer than the love of God for you in the Lord Jesus Christ. 210 00:24:27,079 –> 00:24:33,239 God loves you and he has proved that forever by his self-giving to you. 211 00:24:33,959 –> 00:24:39,239 The Father gave his one and only Son for you. 212 00:24:40,599 –> 00:24:44,199 And on the darkest day of your life you can say, 213 00:24:44,199 –> 00:24:46,520 The Son of God loved me 214 00:24:48,040 –> 00:24:52,199 And he gave himself for me. 215 00:24:53,880 –> 00:24:57,479 God did not redeem you because he had to. 216 00:24:57,479 –> 00:25:03,479 The Lord Jesus Christ was under no obligation to leave heaven, 217 00:25:03,479 –> 00:25:07,000 to be borne into the world or to go and die on the cross 218 00:25:07,000 –> 00:25:08,839 as a sacrifice for our sins. 219 00:25:08,839 –> 00:25:10,680 No, he chose to come, 220 00:25:12,280 –> 00:25:14,359 he chose to lay down his life, 221 00:25:15,880 –> 00:25:18,920 and he did it in love 222 00:25:20,760 –> 00:25:21,239 for you. 223 00:25:21,239 –> 00:25:25,560 And how great is the love, 224 00:25:26,280 –> 00:25:29,479 the love that the Father has lavished upon us, 225 00:25:29,479 –> 00:25:31,640 that we should be called children of God. 226 00:25:34,040 –> 00:25:39,000 In love he predestined us for the adoption 227 00:25:39,000 –> 00:25:43,560 of sons to the praise of His glorious grace. 228 00:25:43,719 –> 00:25:51,000 Nothing in life, death, or Eternity 229 00:25:52,280 –> 00:25:57,079 will ever be able to separate us from the love of God 230 00:25:57,079 –> 00:26:01,800 that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 231 00:26:04,280 –> 00:26:05,800 Brother, sister in Christ, 232 00:26:07,000 –> 00:26:10,359 when you face an unexpected crisis, 233 00:26:11,000 –> 00:26:13,319 you can say with confidence, 234 00:26:13,319 –> 00:26:16,839 I am loved. 235 00:26:19,000 –> 00:26:21,160 And then you can say with confidence, 236 00:26:21,160 –> 00:26:23,239 something else that is very wonderful. 237 00:26:23,239 –> 00:26:25,959 I am saved. 238 00:26:27,000 –> 00:26:28,280 Notice what he says here, 239 00:26:28,280 –> 00:26:33,719 in love you have delivered my life from what? 240 00:26:35,160 –> 00:26:39,160 Well, in love you have delivered my life 241 00:26:39,800 –> 00:26:42,920 from the pit of destruction. 242 00:26:44,199 –> 00:26:45,959 You see, there’s much more 243 00:26:45,959 –> 00:26:50,280 here than Hezekiah recovering from a serious illness. 244 00:26:51,160 –> 00:26:54,599 No, you have delivered my life 245 00:26:54,599 –> 00:26:57,800 from the pit of destruction. 246 00:26:57,800 –> 00:27:00,599 The place where all who go 247 00:27:00,599 –> 00:27:04,280 are destroyed forever and forever. 248 00:27:05,079 –> 00:27:06,839 You know, the Bible speaks 249 00:27:07,479 –> 00:27:10,520 about an eternal destruction. 250 00:27:11,719 –> 00:27:12,760 Think about that. 251 00:27:12,760 –> 00:27:15,800 An eternal destruction, 252 00:27:17,319 –> 00:27:18,359 a destruction, 253 00:27:18,359 –> 00:27:21,319 a tearing apart that never ends. 254 00:27:23,319 –> 00:27:25,479 We hear a great deal in these days 255 00:27:25,479 –> 00:27:29,880 about fear, fear of the coronavirus, 256 00:27:31,479 –> 00:27:33,880 fear of a Great Recession. 257 00:27:35,160 –> 00:27:36,680 Listen to the words of Jesus. 258 00:27:37,880 –> 00:27:41,319 Do not fear those who can kill the body 259 00:27:41,319 –> 00:27:43,560 but cannot kill the soul. 260 00:27:44,359 –> 00:27:47,239 Rather fear Him who can destroy 261 00:27:47,239 –> 00:27:51,079 both body and soul in hell. 262 00:27:53,560 –> 00:27:58,040 Now, remember, Hezekiah was a godly king. 263 00:27:59,800 –> 00:28:01,239 And as a godly king, 264 00:28:01,239 –> 00:28:03,400 the worst thing that this man 265 00:28:04,199 –> 00:28:07,800 could imagine would be to live 266 00:28:07,800 –> 00:28:10,040 and to die in your sins 267 00:28:11,079 –> 00:28:12,839 and then to find yourself 268 00:28:12,839 –> 00:28:14,839 in the pit of destruction 269 00:28:14,839 –> 00:28:16,760 forever and ever. 270 00:28:16,760 –> 00:28:18,920 And he says from a full heart, 271 00:28:18,920 –> 00:28:20,599 O God, thank you, 272 00:28:20,599 –> 00:28:24,920 that you have saved me from that. 273 00:28:26,520 –> 00:28:28,599 Friend, Jesus Christ came 274 00:28:28,599 –> 00:28:31,000 into the world to save you 275 00:28:31,000 –> 00:28:32,920 from the pit of destruction. 276 00:28:35,000 –> 00:28:37,560 He came to save you 277 00:28:38,680 –> 00:28:41,959 and me from the hell 278 00:28:41,959 –> 00:28:43,880 to which our sins 279 00:28:43,880 –> 00:28:46,040 would rightly consign us. 280 00:28:48,920 –> 00:28:50,439 And he came so that 281 00:28:51,319 –> 00:28:52,520 by faith in him 282 00:28:53,400 –> 00:28:56,439 at the lowest point of your life 283 00:28:57,719 –> 00:29:00,199 you would be able to say to God 284 00:29:00,199 –> 00:29:01,000 in love, 285 00:29:02,199 –> 00:29:06,040 you have delivered my life 286 00:29:06,040 –> 00:29:08,760 from the pit of destruction. 287 00:29:08,760 –> 00:29:10,119 Aren’t you so thankful to God 288 00:29:10,119 –> 00:29:11,079 for that today? 289 00:29:12,839 –> 00:29:14,839 Friend, whether things today 290 00:29:14,839 –> 00:29:17,319 for you are better or worse, 291 00:29:18,839 –> 00:29:20,760 whether you find yourself today 292 00:29:20,760 –> 00:29:22,680 in sickness or in health, 293 00:29:24,199 –> 00:29:26,599 whether you are facing the prospect 294 00:29:26,599 –> 00:29:29,160 in these coming weeks and months 295 00:29:29,160 –> 00:29:32,199 of being richer or being poorer, 296 00:29:33,560 –> 00:29:36,119 in Jesus Christ today, 297 00:29:36,119 –> 00:29:37,160 you can say, 298 00:29:38,520 –> 00:29:40,520 I am loved 299 00:29:42,359 –> 00:29:46,119 and I am saved. 300 00:29:46,680 –> 00:29:47,959 And then there’s one more thing 301 00:29:47,959 –> 00:29:49,880 in this wonderful verse 302 00:29:49,880 –> 00:29:51,640 that a Christian believer can say 303 00:29:51,640 –> 00:29:52,839 with great confidence, 304 00:29:53,400 –> 00:29:54,280 and it’s this, 305 00:29:54,280 –> 00:29:56,680 I am forgiven. 306 00:29:57,560 –> 00:29:58,920 Notice what he says. 307 00:29:58,920 –> 00:30:01,560 For you have cast 308 00:30:01,560 –> 00:30:04,760 all my sins behind your back. 309 00:30:05,719 –> 00:30:07,319 Now, notice here 310 00:30:07,319 –> 00:30:08,439 how it is 311 00:30:09,479 –> 00:30:11,160 that God saves us 312 00:30:11,160 –> 00:30:12,680 from the pit of destruction. 313 00:30:12,680 –> 00:30:13,880 How does God do that? 314 00:30:14,520 –> 00:30:16,280 You have delivered my life 315 00:30:16,280 –> 00:30:18,040 from the pit of destruction. 316 00:30:18,040 –> 00:30:18,520 How? 317 00:30:18,520 –> 00:30:20,040 Well, notice the connection, 318 00:30:20,040 –> 00:30:22,040 for, this is the explanation. 319 00:30:22,040 –> 00:30:23,079 Here’s the reason. 320 00:30:23,079 –> 00:30:25,079 Here is what God has done in love. 321 00:30:26,040 –> 00:30:27,560 And here is what he has done 322 00:30:27,560 –> 00:30:29,880 in order to save you and me 323 00:30:29,880 –> 00:30:32,280 from the pit of destruction, 324 00:30:32,280 –> 00:30:34,199 for you have cast 325 00:30:34,199 –> 00:30:36,040 all my sins 326 00:30:37,640 –> 00:30:38,599 behind your back. 327 00:30:41,479 –> 00:30:43,959 Now, Godly people know 328 00:30:45,160 –> 00:30:46,760 that our sins are many. 329 00:30:48,280 –> 00:30:50,199 In fact, the closer 330 00:30:50,199 –> 00:30:51,640 you walk with God, 331 00:30:51,640 –> 00:30:52,439 the greater 332 00:30:52,439 –> 00:30:53,239 the awareness 333 00:30:53,239 –> 00:30:55,000 of your own sins will be. 334 00:30:55,000 –> 00:30:58,599 And what we’re learning here 335 00:30:59,560 –> 00:31:01,719 is that there are two places 336 00:31:01,719 –> 00:31:03,400 and only two places 337 00:31:03,400 –> 00:31:04,439 where sin can be. 338 00:31:06,280 –> 00:31:08,359 One is before God’s face 339 00:31:10,280 –> 00:31:12,359 and the other is behind his back. 340 00:31:14,439 –> 00:31:16,199 Either your sins 341 00:31:16,199 –> 00:31:18,119 are before God’s face 342 00:31:19,719 –> 00:31:20,920 or your sins 343 00:31:21,800 –> 00:31:23,160 are behind his back. 344 00:31:23,160 –> 00:31:24,599 It’s one or the other. 345 00:31:25,959 –> 00:31:28,199 And friend, the great question 346 00:31:28,199 –> 00:31:29,719 that will determine 347 00:31:29,719 –> 00:31:31,400 your eternal future 348 00:31:32,199 –> 00:31:33,560 is not whether your sins 349 00:31:33,560 –> 00:31:35,000 are few or many, 350 00:31:35,000 –> 00:31:37,400 but are they before God’s face 351 00:31:38,920 –> 00:31:42,040 or are they behind God’s back? 352 00:31:44,280 –> 00:31:48,520 And Jesus Christ died for our sins. 353 00:31:48,520 –> 00:31:50,439 He bore our sins 354 00:31:50,439 –> 00:31:52,280 in his body on the tree 355 00:31:52,520 –> 00:31:57,880 so that when you repent of your sins, 356 00:31:57,880 –> 00:32:02,040 God takes them from before his face 357 00:32:03,640 –> 00:32:06,520 and casts them behind his back. 358 00:32:07,640 –> 00:32:08,280 Do you see that? 359 00:32:08,280 –> 00:32:10,280 That’s exactly what is being said here. 360 00:32:11,719 –> 00:32:13,560 And I love this word, cast. 361 00:32:13,560 –> 00:32:15,640 you have cast, cast 362 00:32:17,719 –> 00:32:19,959 all my sins behind your back. 363 00:32:20,920 –> 00:32:22,359 See in Jesus Christ. 364 00:32:22,359 –> 00:32:25,319 When you come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 365 00:32:25,319 –> 00:32:26,599 God removes 366 00:32:27,479 –> 00:32:28,439 our sins. 367 00:32:29,239 –> 00:32:30,839 He puts them in another place, 368 00:32:30,839 –> 00:32:34,920 he takes them from us as far as the East is from the West. 369 00:32:34,920 –> 00:32:38,040 He flings them out of sight. 370 00:32:38,920 –> 00:32:43,319 He throws them behind his back. 371 00:32:45,000 –> 00:32:47,319 And not just some of them, 372 00:32:47,560 –> 00:32:51,160 you have cast all my sins 373 00:32:52,920 –> 00:32:53,880 behind your back. 374 00:32:56,520 –> 00:33:02,839 Matthew Henry has a very helpful comment on this he says, 375 00:33:03,560 –> 00:33:07,719 when we cast our sins behind our back, 376 00:33:09,400 –> 00:33:12,280 God sets them before his face. 377 00:33:13,000 –> 00:33:18,040 But when we set them before our face in true repentance, 378 00:33:19,000 –> 00:33:23,319 God casts them behind his back. 379 00:33:23,319 –> 00:33:25,479 You see what he’s saying? 380 00:33:25,479 –> 00:33:30,680 The easy thing for us to do is to cast our sins behind our back. 381 00:33:31,239 –> 00:33:32,680 Oh yeah, well, it doesn’t matter. 382 00:33:32,680 –> 00:33:33,880 Oh, I’ve moved on. 383 00:33:34,920 –> 00:33:36,520 Oh, I don’t need to worry about that. 384 00:33:37,959 –> 00:33:39,640 And so you just ignore it. 385 00:33:39,640 –> 00:33:40,760 So you just ignore it. 386 00:33:42,119 –> 00:33:43,000 And you move on. 387 00:33:44,439 –> 00:33:47,479 And never come to real repentance. 388 00:33:49,959 –> 00:33:52,119 And Matthew Henry is saying, very pointedly, 389 00:33:52,119 –> 00:33:56,119 as long as you’re just casting your sins behind your back and ignoring them, 390 00:33:57,400 –> 00:34:00,920 the reality of your life is your sins, though you may be ignoring them, 391 00:34:00,920 –> 00:34:02,199 they’re right in front of God’s face. 392 00:34:04,680 –> 00:34:05,640 So here’s what you do. 393 00:34:06,280 –> 00:34:11,800 You bring your sins before your own face in genuine repentance. 394 00:34:13,159 –> 00:34:18,199 And when you do that, God casts them behind his back. 395 00:34:19,800 –> 00:34:23,239 And when your sins are behind the back of God, 396 00:34:25,000 –> 00:34:29,959 you can cast them safely behind your back as well. 397 00:34:31,959 –> 00:34:33,639 So here’s what we’ve learned today 398 00:34:34,600 –> 00:34:37,479 in these remarkable verses. 399 00:34:38,840 –> 00:34:40,679 Faith tested. 400 00:34:41,639 –> 00:34:43,719 Faith strengthened. 401 00:34:44,520 –> 00:34:47,540 And wonderfully faith assured. 402 00:34:48,919 –> 00:34:53,000 Friends, one of the realities that surely is pressed home 403 00:34:53,000 –> 00:34:56,040 to all of us in these days 404 00:34:56,040 –> 00:35:01,159 is that life is much less certain than we like to think. 405 00:35:02,040 –> 00:35:04,679 We make all our elaborate plans 406 00:35:05,959 –> 00:35:09,879 and a tiny virus throws everything up in the air. 407 00:35:11,800 –> 00:35:13,239 But brothers and sisters, 408 00:35:13,239 –> 00:35:17,479 how rich we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. 409 00:35:18,520 –> 00:35:20,520 Do you see this today? 410 00:35:20,520 –> 00:35:23,080 What a marvelous thing it is to know 411 00:35:23,080 –> 00:35:26,199 that on the darkest day of your life, 412 00:35:26,199 –> 00:35:28,679 you can say with confidence, 413 00:35:29,560 –> 00:35:32,199 I am forgiven. 414 00:35:34,040 –> 00:35:35,239 I am saved. 415 00:35:37,159 –> 00:35:40,919 And nothing can ever separate me 416 00:35:42,679 –> 00:35:48,040 from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 417 00:35:49,879 –> 00:35:52,120 And friend, if you have a Savior like that, 418 00:35:53,879 –> 00:35:57,959 you can face any crisis. 419 00:35:59,239 –> 00:36:00,120 Let’s pray together. 420 00:36:02,439 –> 00:36:09,959 Our Father, we come profoundly aware of our own weakness 421 00:36:11,399 –> 00:36:19,479 and of the degree to which our own faith is tested and often shown up to be less than we 422 00:36:19,479 –> 00:36:28,280 like to think it to be. Strengthen us, as we move through these days in which we live, 423 00:36:29,639 –> 00:36:37,560 strengthen us by your Word. Grant that we may pray what we see and what we believe, 424 00:36:38,919 –> 00:36:48,520 that what you promise truly may be ours. And thank you, thank you today that in Jesus Christ, 425 00:36:48,760 –> 00:37:00,919 whatever we face, we are able to say with confidence, I am forgiven, I am saved, 426 00:37:02,760 –> 00:37:15,639 I am loved. So may your grace reign in our hearts for these things we ask in Jesus name, Amen.