The Blessing of Uncertainty pt. 1

Mark Finley: You may say, God, what is my mission? God, the church ought to be doing this. The church ought to be doing more in the community. Well, praise God. Hallelujah. Who's the church?
Guest (Male): You are.
Guest (Male): This is Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message, the blessing of uncertainty, part one. Enjoy and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with Hope Lives 365 and Pastor Mark by going to hopelives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.
Mark Finley: Daniel Gilbert is a psychology professor at Harvard University. And recently, Professor Gilbert took a look at a Gallup poll that said this. Americans are less happier. They're more sad than they were 12 months ago. They, in fact, according to this Gallup poll, they're getting less sleep. Depression is on the rise, and the sale of antidepressant drugs is off the charts in the United States. Antidepressants are the number one selling drugs in America today. So, Professor Gilbert pointed out that the real problem is not our it's not the financial situation in America. It's really uncertainty. He said never before in American history have people been so uncertain. They don't know what's going to happen in the future, and they're wondering, will I have a job next week? How can I pay my mortgage? Will my health fail me? What's ahead in the future? And so, people are concerned, but the big thing that is driving their anxiety, the big thing that's driving their depression, the big thing that is driving this angst, this unhappiness, is this incredible uncertainty. Will stocks rise or fall? Will my retirement be secure? So, people are very uncertain. And Professor Gilbert looked at a Dutch study. And the Dutch study is an incredibly fascinating study. There were two groups of 20 people each. Each of these groups of people, 20, agreed to this experiment in which they would be shocked. And then the measure of their psychological anxiety would be determined based on their shocks. Each group of people would receive 20 shocks. The first group were told, your 20 shocks are going to be very very intense. When we shock you, it's going to be intense. The next group of people, 20 people were told, you're going to get 20 shocks. 17 of them are going to be very very mild. You'll hardly feel them. But three will be very intense. Now, here's my question to you. They didn't tell the second group when the three intense shocks would come. Which group sweat more? Which group had greater anxiety? Which group worried more? Which group almost had a heart attack much more rapidly? Which group do you think? The second group, right? Why? The first group knew that they were going to get 20 intense shocks. The second group had no clue when those three shocks were going to come that were intense. So, they were constantly shaking, constantly anxiety filled with anxiety. In the last hours of Earth's history, you and I are going to have to learn to thrive in uncertain times. There are some people in life that want everything predictable. You know people like that? They want everything predictable. They like the same to do the same thing over and over and over again. Change really troubles them. We're approaching a time where there will be rapid financial changes in our world. The economy is uncertain. We're approaching a time where there will be rapid weather changes in our world. Have you noticed the global warming effect and the weather changes? It's amazing when you take a look at it on a global perspective. We're facing the climactic hours of Earth's history where change will be rapid. How can you be certain in uncertain times? Is there a blessing in uncertainty? How can you be stable in unstable times? When everything around you is shaking, when everything around you is insecure, when everything around you is unpredictable, when you look to the future and uncertain and are uncertain what's going to happen, how do you develop certainty and security in uncertain times? I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn to Isaiah the sixth chapter. Because Isaiah lived at a time of uncertainty. Now, while you're turning to Isaiah chapter six and locating it, I want to share with you a reference in the ninth volume of the testimonies, page 11. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The spirit of God is being gradually withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling on the despisers of God's grace. The calamities by land and sea. Do we see some calamities by land and sea today? Do you see a few of those? The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society. Is that what Dr. Gabriel is that is that what Dr. Daniel Gilbert was talking about, the unsettled state of society, the uncertainty? It's almost as if this reference were written yesterday. The unsettled state of society. The alarms of war are portentous. North Korea, nuclear weapons, Iran, Iraq, Syria. The portents of war, the alarms of war portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. The agencies of evil are combining their forces. Do you notice the agencies of evil? You can hardly turn on the television today and look at CNN without seeing some school shooting, some public official sitting in their home murdered. When you look out over our society, there's a great deal of uncertainty today. The agencies of evil are consolidating their forces. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Now, notice this sentence. Great changes are soon to take place in our world. Great what? Great what's going to take place? Changes. And the final movements will be rapid ones. So, if we live to the coming of Jesus, we will need to live to learn we will need to learn to live in the greatest time of uncertainty in the history of this world. A time when change will be rapid. Now, how can we live in that time of uncertainty? We're turning back to Isaiah chapter six. And I invite you to take your Bible and turn to Isaiah six and we're looking at Isaiah six and verse one. Notice, in the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord Uzziah sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple. That word train, another way we could translate that would be glory. His glory filled the temple. Now, notice Isaiah begins in the year King Uzziah died. King Uzziah became king when he was 16 years old. He ruled for 52 years. King Uzziah was an amazing king. He was probably Israel's greatest king other than maybe David, certainly David and Solomon, but but Uzziah ruled for 52 years. Under Uzziah's rule, Israel entered into prosperity, entered into preeminence, entered into new prominence. Under Uzziah's rule, commerce revived, riches flowed into Israel, cities were rebuilt, previously been destroyed. Those cities were fortified, and Israel was prosperous. But Israel began to lose its spiritual power. The worship services became cold and formal. People were spiritually apathetic and they were complacent, and the priests were greedy and combined, and then they were guilty, and they were combined with that greed was combined with this desire to make more money. And so, when you look at the spiritual situation of Israel in the days of Uzziah, the spiritual situation was one of deteriorating spiritual condition. When you look at what was taking place in the nation, the nation was flourishing, the nation was prospering, but its spirituality was the heart of that spirituality was being eaten away. When Uzziah came to the end of his life, he entered brazenly into the temple to offer sacrifice. The priests attempted to stop him because no king was to offer sacrifice in that temple, simply the priests. Uzziah brazenly and boldly pushed his way in. And as he came in, the curse and judgments of God came upon him and he got leprosy. After 52 years of reign, he developed leprosy and eventually died. One of the lessons that speaks to us in the life of Uzziah is this. No matter how long somebody has been faithful to God, that does not guarantee their faithfulness in the future. No matter how long somebody has been loyal to God, that does not guarantee their loyalty in the future. No matter how long somebody has been committed to God, simply to look back and say I've been a Christian for 40 years and that's an automatic pass into heaven. Irrespective of what the choices I make today, as if those 40 years can accrue some kind of spiritual merit. Uzziah speaks to us. Uzziah dies when he's 68 years old after a brazen act of rebellion walking into the temple. Now, why is it that this passage is so significant in verse one? In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne. What is so significant about that particular passage? Why does Uzziah say in the year King Uzziah died? What were the political conditions in Uzziah's day? And then how does this prophecy in Uzziah six compare to the book of Revelation? We're going to look at Isaiah six in the light of Revelation, and you will see some amazing parallels. But let me give you a little background.
Guest (Male): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you're enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers and effectively share with confidence his life-changing truths with others. You can support this ministry and help us reach even more by going to hopelives365.com/donate. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.
Mark Finley: And a Syrian king, one of the most powerful, by the name of Tiglath-Pileser III, began to move strongly against Israel and the surrounding nations. BC 745 Tiglath-Pileser III attacks Babylon and it falls. 744 BC he's attacking Assyria. 743, 742 he is moving on Judah in Israel. And so, the people of God saw Tiglath-Pileser III approaching. They saw nation after nation, city after city falling. But for three years, there was one man that stood against Tiglath-Pileser. Who do you think that was? Uzziah. And so, Uzziah fortifies these cities. Uzziah multiplies his armed forces. Uzziah puts his resources into these armed forces. So, Tiglath-Pileser is being held back on the northern borders. But then Uzziah dies. And all of Israel is in fear. All of Israel is shaking. All of Israel is trembling because there's uncertain. The future is uncertain. Will Tiglath-Pileser keep coming down? Will he attack Israel? Will he attack Judah? Will he destroy the cities? And so, there is this incredible crisis. Their prosperity was in the hands of of Uzziah. Their military might was in the hands of Uzziah. But and so, now you have this tremendous anxiety. So, Uzziah, at this time of national crisis, with the king dying and enemy forces on their borders, Uzziah enters into the temple of God. Uzziah comes before God's throne. And the eyes of Uzziah are lifted from earth to heaven. The earthly throne may be empty, but the heavenly throne is not.
Guest (Male): Amen.
Guest (Female): Amen.
Mark Finley: King Uzziah may have died, but the king of kings still reigns.
Guest (Male): Amen.
Mark Finley: The kingdom of God on earth is in good hands because the whole world is in his hands. When there are times of uncertainty, we can be certain of this one thing. God is still in control. When uncertainty grips our lives, when instability is all around us, when the economy is about ready to go bust, when the weather patterns are bizarre, when political situations are tenuous, there is one thing that's certain. God is still upon his throne. Now, there are five pointers in Isaiah chapter six to the book of Revelation. I want you to see them. Isaiah chapter six notice in verse one. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. First pointer is the concept of the throne. In the New Testament, how many books in the New Testament are there? How many are there? 27 books in the New Testament. In 26 of those books, the throne of God is mentioned 17 times. 17 times in 26 books. In the book of Revelation, the throne of God is mentioned in one book 37 times. So, when you study the book of Revelation, you're constantly directed to the throne room of the universe. So, when you read about the throne, that's a pointer to the book of Revelation that discusses the throne more than any other time in the New Testament. Now, notice in the in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne high and lifted up in the train. His glory filled his temple. The book of Revelation is all about the temple. John in the book of Revelation has a vision of the heavenly temple. John sees events taking place on earth. The beast rises up out of the earth, and the beast rises up out of the sea, and there's a union of church and state. But John's eyes are focused not on the traumatic times on earth. Do you know that in the book of Revelation the throne of God is mentioned far more than the beast? Because God is more interested in what is happening up there than he is of what is happening down here because what's happening down here can only take place if God up there allows it in his sovereignty for it to happen. So, you notice the temple. That's again a pointer to the book of Revelation. Did you notice verse two? Above it stood seraphim, each one having six wings, two covered his face, and he covered and he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Now, notice six wings, seraphim, heavenly beings pointed to Revelation. I'll show you that shortly. Verse three, fourth pointer. One cried to another and said, holy holy holy. Again a pointer to Revelation, that holy holy holy, three holies to the book of Revelation. And notice also there is a woe is to me. I'm undone. Again John in Revelation says I'm unclean. And then of course, you have this great appeal. Who shall I send? Who shall go for us? Send me. This commissioning, this sending. God is a group in the book of Revelation, ascending. So, in Isaiah, let's look at the parallels. In Isaiah, there's a national crisis. The king dies. The enemy forces are approaching to destroy. In the book of Revelation, there's a crisis. There is no political solution on earth. God directs John to the temple so he can see the activity of God. Now, let's go to Revelation chapter four. Revelation chapter four is a striking parallel to Isaiah chapter six. Revelation chapter four is a striking parallel to Isaiah chapter six. We're looking at Revelation chapter four verse one. And these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, come up here and I'll show you things that must take place after this. In Isaiah, did we have a door standing open in heaven? We sure did. In Isaiah, did was Isaiah directed to the sanctuary? He was. Verse two. And immediately I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven. Did Isaiah see a throne in heaven? Did John see a throne in heaven? Certainly there. Now, notice as you let your eyes go down in the passage, verse six, seven, and eight. Before the throne was a sea of glass like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in the front and the back. The first living creature was like a lion. A lion, kingly authority. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Second living creature like a calf. Jesus, the calf is a the beast of burden. So, Jesus bears our burdens. The third living creature at the face of a man, the divine Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah who would bear our burdens became like a human being. The fourth like a flying eagle. Christ lived, he died, he took upon humanity, but then he ascended back into heaven like the eagle. The four living creatures each having six wings were full of eyes round and within, and they do not rest day or night. Now, notice you have four living creatures with six wings. In Ezekiel's vision, the living creatures have only four wings. Here they have six. Why? Because it's a tie back to Isaiah. And so, here you have the again the seraphim. And in Isaiah, what do they say? Holy holy holy. In Revelation, what do they say? Holy holy holy. Lord God Almighty. Now, notice what God is doing in Isaiah is pointing us to the book of Revelation. Why? Because when you look at Revelation, you have conflict on earth. When you look at Revelation, you have economic uncertainty. When you look at Revelation, you have political uncertainty. When you look at Revelation, you have instability all around. And God is saying, just like I was with Isaiah, just like I was on my throne then, just like the holiness of God guided the destinies of affairs from the nations of this world, so God is still on his throne. We can have confidence. We can have hope because God reigns upon his throne in the midst of the uncertainty of this world. God is never caught by surprise. What do you say? He's never caught by surprise. In the uncertainty of your life. Are you going through economic uncertainty? Are you going through uncertainty with your health? Are you going through uncertainty in some relationship? Are you going through uncertainty on some job? In spite of the uncertainty of the our lives, Jesus still reigns upon his throne. In spite of the uncertainty of our lives, Jesus is still certain. We may be out of control at times, and there may be things that happen in our lives that are totally out of control. Uzziah dies. The earthly kingdom is without a ruler. Tiglath-Pileser moves. It's uncertain. Events are out of Israel's control, but God is still in control. When things are out of control in your life, God is still con in control. You know that I spent much of my life working in Eastern Europe. In fact, I see my friend Dr. Bill Shay here. I think one of the first trips I made to Eastern Europe was you was with you in about 19 82. We were together. Do you remember that time? East Germany. You and I and Bill Shay and and Garrett Hazzell and we had a wonderful time together. We were doing a seminar on the book of Daniel. And it was the largest Bible conference at that time in the Eastern Bloc countries. There were pastors from Romania in East Germany and Bulgaria in the former Soviet in the Soviet Union at the time. This was of course during the days of communism. Just this last week, I was doing a TV special in Chattanooga, an hour-long special. And I met again my one of my dear friends over the years, for 20 years has been Pastor Mikhail Kulakov, who he has died now, and I had the privilege of preaching his funeral sermon. But I spent some time with his granddaughter this last week, and we were rehearsing some of the experiences that her grandfather went through during the days of communism. One of those experiences was quite remarkable. Pastor Kulakov's father was also a Seventh-day Adventist minister. And he was in prison for his faith for five years. Pastor Kulakov later was in prison for his faith. The reason Pastor Kulakov's father was in prison for his faith is that about midnight or 1:00 in the morning, he baptized seven young people. One of these young people was a spy for the Communist government, 17-year-old spy. Once Pastor Kulakov secretly baptized these young people not for outside of Moscow, the spy went to the government and said he coerced me and testified against him in court that that Pastor Kulakov proselytized him, and eventually Pastor Kulakov's father was sent to Siberian prison. Pastor Kulakov eventually was arrested as well. So, at one time, Pastor Kulakov's father was in prison, he was in prison, his brother was in prison, and his mother would try to provide little food stuffs for them.
Guest (Male): You've been listening to Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at hopelives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to hopelives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.
Mark Finley: We are on the winning side. God's word is going to go forth powerfully at the time at the end. Every nation, kindred, tongue, and people will have an opportunity, a reasonable opportunity to know God's love, to understand God's will, and to respond to his message.