(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Alright, Isaiah chapter 28, they're right in there in verse number 1, you know, the same theme, the same thing that's been coming up over and over again, the Bible starts off there, woe to the crown of pride, and we've been dealing with pride all throughout the book of Isaiah, and it's God's judgment coming down upon the children of pride, you know, last week we, if you weren't here, chapter 27, we went over Leviathan, and the Bible says that Leviathan is the, you know, is the father basically of the children of pride, and that's representative of Satan, and here he's saying woe to the crown of pride, so this is, you know, over and over and over again, especially subjects like this, you know, really pay close attention to this, I mean, it can't be overstated, in my opinion, you know, this sin of pride, of how wicked and how bad it really is, I mean, this is something that goes over and over and over and over and over again, and obviously we're all sinful by nature, and we all have a propensity to sin, and to become prideful, whether it be, you know, in any area of our life, there's many ways that you can become prideful, and we really want to pay attention to this, you see how much God talks about how horrible this is, and how he judges, and how bad it is, and we see how, you know, Satan's sin ultimately started with his pride and being lifted up in himself, we see that in Romans chapter 1, the way someone becomes reprobate, I believe, starts with them becoming very proud and, you know, professing themselves to be wise, they become fools, right, and they go into idolatry and everything else, and just think they're so great, they're just going to kind of decide the way everything is, instead of actually looking for truth, and looking for wisdom, it's them conjuring up their own truth, and pride is kind of the root of so many problems in life, and we need, you know, obviously the opposite of pride is humility, staying humble, having the mindset that you're going to be a servant, that you're going to be ministering unto others, and that you esteem others better than yourself is the way that the Bible puts it, that we're not thinking highly of ourselves in the sense that, you know, one, you think highly of yourself in the sense that you're a son of God, you're a child of God today, so there's nothing wrong with knowing that you have a lot of value, we don't debase ourselves in the sense of thinking we have no value, we do have value, but being humble is showing more value on others than on yourself, so you can have a high sense of value of who you are, and hey, you're a child of God, you're an ambassador for Christ, you're a soldier for the Lord, you have all these great things and jobs that you need to do, and that's awesome, so I'm not saying you just need to think of yourself as just a piece of trash, but what you do when you're humble, when you don't have pride, is that you're esteeming others better than you, right, so you're still lowering yourself to everyone else around you, and thinking of them first, and this is, you know, the Bible said here, woe to the crown of pride, woe is extreme grief and sorrow, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, so he's likening, you know, they think their beauty is so glorious, but you know what, it's just as glorious as a fading flower, yeah, that flower looked really great for a moment, but how quickly does it just fade away and wilt and become ugly and nothing, right, the beauty of a flower doesn't last long, I mean, people who know this here, anyone who's, you know, I get flowers from my wife from time to time, you know, if she's not feeling well, or cheer up, or whatever, give some kind of gift, you know, men often do that for ladies, ladies like the flowers, but how long do they really last, I mean, you put them in a vase, you could take care of them as best as you can, you could put the little plant food in there and everything else, and they might last a week or two or three or whatever, I don't know, in my house sometimes it might last a couple days, whatever the case may be, right, they don't always last very long, but at the end, what do they end up doing, they all wilt and die, that always happens, and they may look real beautiful for a short period of time, and then they wilt, and this is that beauty that the children of pride, that they glorify themselves, and they think they're so marvelous and so wonderful and so beautiful, by saying, your glorious beauty is a fading flower, just like Satan, just like, you know, Satan was made a beautiful creature from the Lord, that, you know, the Bible describes him having, you know, kind of being decked with all these different jewels and having these great tablets and everything about them just seems very ornate and beautiful, the way that God made them, but you know where he's going to end up, he ends up in a lake of fire, being tortured, tormented for a long time, and you know what, that outward beauty is all superficial anyways, because what matters is who you are on the inside, I mean, Satan's a monster, he may look very beautiful, but he's a monster, right, you may look at people, you know, a lot of Hollywood stars, on the outward, they look really beautiful, really attractive, they have these bodies, whatever it is, their appearance, their face, their hair, their, you know, they just look like, like oh wow, they're so beautiful, but many of those people are monsters, they're horrible, wicked individuals, predators, you know, that outside appearance, that's nothing, but oftentimes people will get lifted up in pride over many of the most meaningless things, I mean some of the proudest people are just proud because of their outward appearance, oh I'm so good looking, I'm so, you know, it's like, yeah but you're a whore, yeah but you're a wicked, you know, it's vanity, it's meaningless, but let's get into this a little bit more, word of the crown of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine, behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand, the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet, and this is just interesting because verse 4 reiterates what we already read in verse 1, and the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer, which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while is yet in his hand he eateth it up, verse 5, in that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, so now this is contrasting, you know we were just reading about the crown of pride, and their fading flower is their beauty, well now we see that the Lord of hosts has a crown of glory, a crown of excellence, a crown of great shining that doesn't fade, the glory of the Lord doesn't fade away, that's going to remain forever, it says, and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of the people, and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate, now before we go any further just reminding you where we've been, week after week now for the past few weeks, several weeks we've been dealing with just this end time prophecy, a lot of this is very heavy on the end time prophecy of the wicked being destroyed at the coming of Jesus Christ, the day of the Lord being described, and then Jesus setting up his kingdom, and I believe again we're still seeing some remnants of this prophecy being brought up here, being foretold about the crown of pride, Satan being destroyed, being judged, and then the glorious beauty in Jesus Christ being set up in that crown of glory, and a diadem is your crown of beauty unto the residue of the people, so the people who are left over, and it says and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate, so he's going to come and bring a spirit of judgment, amen for that, too much you hear about judging and judgment, and you shouldn't judge as being thrown around by Christians and people who want to attack Christians alike as something you shouldn't do, well you know what, praise God when he brings judgment, it's a good thing, we should be looking forward to that, a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, so the person who's supposed to be judging, he's going to bring the proper spirit of judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate, so the people in the war he's going to bring strength to those who are sitting in a place of judgment, he's going to bring that spirit of judgment for them to judge righteously, look at verse 7 it says but they also have erred through wine and through strong drink are out of the way, the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they're swallowed up of wine, they're out of the way through strong drink, they earn vision, they stumble in judgment, now you better believe I'm going to be preaching on alcohol again tonight, and you say Pastor Verzins you've been preaching on this a lot, well you know what, it's in the Bible a lot, I'm not going to skip over it or pass over it just because I preached on it recently, we need to hear this over and over again because it's culturally acceptable in our society and even among many professing Christians they don't have a problem with it, but you know what the Bible has a problem with it, God has a problem with it, and here we're going to deep dive just even into this one passage here in Isaiah chapter 28 as to more as to why this is such a big deal and some of the problems that go along with drinking booze, now one of the things that even the world will tell you and here's the thing, the things that are true of course the Bible will tell you what's true, the Bible tells you what's true, there's nothing that's a lie that's in this book and especially when we're talking about booze, it's full of facts, it's full of truth, now the world may not be you know the world definitely promotes this poison and the world's going to say it's not that bad for you but there's still many aspects about alcohol and booze that the world will even tell you like yeah that's true, so it's not like everything the Bible is contradicted by the world but it's you know when you see both of them going hand in hand it's just like man that must be you know they can't deny it right we get to a point where it's just like undeniable, this is one of the things that we're dealing with here and if you have ever heard people you know teach out in the world in alcohol one of the things they'll teach you know whether it be in in a like driver safety class or if they're teaching kids in a school they're going to tell you that one of the first things that you lose when you start drinking alcohol is your judgment, making good decisions, being able to think rationally and clearly and being able to make a good decision that starts to decline with your very first drink and for that that reason alone should be enough for believers to say I don't want to have anything to do with this because even if you're at the camp that says well having a little bit moderation isn't sinful only getting drunk is well how much more likely are you to get drunk as soon as you have that first drink I mean it's it goes up exponentially your odds of sinning through drunkenness go way up especially when you understand that as soon as you take that drink your judgment starts to get impaired and you're going to start making poor and poor decisions and what those poor decisions could be to have another one well that was really good yeah I probably shouldn't do that but you know and you've already given in to the flash tab that first drink and guess what the judgment starts to go and this is exactly what the Bible is talking about here not about necessarily just having another drink but this is talking about judgment being impaired and why God forbids the priests to be to have anything to do with the alcohol why because they lose their judgment and here's the thing you say yeah but it was their job it is it was the job of the priests and the prophets to be able to exert proper judgment with the spirit of judgment from God to be able to discern and be able to teach and to prophesy right from wrong good from evil that is the job of the priest that is the job of the prophet that was the job of the Levi's they're supposed to teach the people and take the Word of God and say this is clean and this is unclean and it's no different today you can say yeah that's why there's also the qualifications for a bishop for a pastor right for another they should not be given a wine why because if you do you're gonna earn your judgment you're gonna make mistakes you're gonna screw up because you're not thinking clearly because you're given to wine because you're you're you're indulging in something that causes you to have bad judgment now don't be deceived into thinking well that's just for that position now it's extremely important for that position because that is specifically a position of someone who's supposed to be teaching on judgment but whether or not you're teaching other people judgment don't you think God expects you to use good judgment in your life day to day whether you're teaching people judgment or not of course and and so if you're going to be participating and drinking alcohol guess what you're gonna start earning in judgment just like anybody does regardless of you being a priest or not and you know would to God that all the Lord's people were priests and prophets and able to you know that's what we're taught in Scripture just because there's a standard for a position doesn't mean that shouldn't be the standard for everybody I mean that's just how we are we ought to be striving to to live our lives the most holy that we can that we could sanctify our vessels this fleshly you know vessel that we're in right now that we walk in the Spirit and abstain from the things that are gonna cause us to sin they're gonna cause us to be unclean they're gonna cause us to be in pure so don't just think that you're off the hook because he's gives reasons why and these reasons apply to everybody let's look at verse 7 again because he was just saying in verse 6 hey I'm gonna give you the Spirit of Judgment and give strength for the battle is but they also have erred and erred means you're in error means you're wrong I mean you're doing something you shouldn't be doing hey you're in you're in error through wine and through drink they're out of the way they're not going the right way because of the strong drink he says the priests and the Prophet have erred through strong drink they are swallowed up of wine they're out of the way through strong drink they are in vision and what's vision visions like prophesying vision is is seeing something they're they're they're not going to be moving towards the right goals they're making an error in their judgment because their judgment gets screwed now you're gonna be start start going the wrong way when your judgment is skewed you're gonna start start thinking okay well this is my direction right I mean think about a straight line we've got we this is our destination as a church we're trying that to reach these heights right this is our goal we've got a plan we're moving forward we're trying to reach you know this whole area we're trying to do that you know this is the goal this is the endgame this is what we're striving for and we're down here we're going to go and we're trying to go straight up that way well when you're when you're skewed off a little bit because of wine well wine is kind of it but you know I can't quite see straight to draw that straight line because I'm drinking too much it's going to go this way well now I'm going to go over here we're not going to hit that that that goal you're saying you err in vision and stumble in judgment and people who are given a wine guess what you're not going to be able to make good judgment calls one because I mean just for the fact that you're in this sin right how are you going you're going to be a hypocrite in judgment trying to judge other people but two it's not just because of that specifically with wine with the alcohol it causes you to have bad judgment it causes your heart to utter perverse things like the Bible says in Proverbs 23 Proverbs 23 says thine eyes shall behold strange women and thine heart shall utter perverse things so these are things that happen because you're drinking spirits right wine and spirits you've seen it on the liquor store signs before you're you're you're you're consuming this beverage that's going to give you another spirit it's going to give you another mind it's going to cause your judgment to err it's going to cause you to err in vision it's going to cause you to stumble uses the word stumble in judgment for a reason to that people are drinking wine guess what they do they stumble they can't walk very straight they can't walk very well when you're impaired by alcohol you say not only going to stumble physically you're gonna be stumbling in judgment you'll be tripping over judgment what's right I don't know anymore why because you're drinking booze that's what it does to you you're not going to be able to know the right from the wrong anymore it's going to impact you it's going to impair you Leviticus chapter 10 you could turn if you'd like or you could stay in Isaiah 28 I'm not going to spend all sermon on this but it's worth going over just because of this coming up I mean how many times he's saying they are they are they are they stumble they're wrong just in one verse verse seven let's count it but they also have heard through wine through strong drink out of the way third through strong drink out of the way third and vision stumble in judgment and if you count swallowed up of wine that's seven swallowed up all bad things seven times in one verse saying how bad alcohol is one verse Leviticus chapter 10 verse number 8 the Bible says and the Lord spake unto Aaron saying do not drink wine nor strong drink thou nor thy sons with thee when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die it shall be a statute forever throughout your generation so the Bible saying here God's teaching them I mean this is the Lord spake the Lord spake unto Aaron God's speaking right people better listen up when God's speaking the Lord spake unto Aaron do not drink wine nor strong drink when thou nor thy sons with thee when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die you want to talk about a sin they shouldn't do how about a sin that's unto death you say oh but God's gracious and merciful I'll just I'll just repent and say I'm sorry and then it's okay look God says if you do this you're gonna die you don't get a chance there's no do-overs this is how serious the sin of drinking wine or strong drink now notice he doesn't say don't get drunk he says don't drink wine or strong drink just don't even do it didn't say how many you could have he says don't do it or else you'll die he says this is a statute forever throughout your generations why verse 10 says why and that you may put difference between holy and unholy in between unclean and clean that's why because if you drink wine or strong drink you're not clean because that's not clean and you're in you're making yourself unholy by participating in that whether you have one whether you have ten doesn't matter how many drinks you have that is unclean verse 11 says and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken unto them by the hand of Moses so again it's going to impair your teaching your ability to teach others and you know parents you got kids you need to teach your children how are you going to be able to teach your children if they see you down in the the Coors the beers the boxed wine whatever whatever it is they're going to learn after what you do way more than after what you say and you know what your judgments going to be clouded then you want to you want to raise your children to be righteous to be holy to be clean you got to get the booze out of your life Bible says in Proverbs 20 verse 1 wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise anyone that thinks it's okay for acceptable aggressions to drink booze you're deceived you're not wise verse number 8 let's go back to Isaiah 28 besides messing with your judgment and you know the judgment this is a big deal this is this is also the reason why not only are people unclean just by virtue of drinking the alcohol like the Bible is talking about here but many people especially many young people commit much more grievous sins and continue to sin even further because of what the alcohol does to them because they lose their judgment many young people then commit the sin of fornication it happens all the time why because normally they wouldn't do something normally they wouldn't do that normally they'd say no way I'm going to keep myself pure until marriage I know that's the right thing to do but you know what they started having fun they started having this wine and guess what their judgment starts to slip judgment starts to go out the window and not only that when the Bible says your your heart shall utter perverse things now you're starting to get these wicked sinful thoughts in your mind that you wouldn't normally had but because you've introduced the alcohol that's going to come that's what happens it happens all the time every day there's people defiling themselves because of the alcohol because of the poison watch out kids what don't don't have to figure it out for yourself when someone tries to tell you how fun it is oh but but it's so fun oh but you'll just laugh and laugh and laugh you know what you're gonna laugh like a fool like the idiot that doesn't even know what they're laughing at you know they may think it's a lot of fun but everyone else sees you as a fool and here's the thing at the end how fun is it how fun is this sound look at verse number eight of Isaiah 28 for all tables are full of vomit and filthiness so that there is no place clean how fun does that sound who wants to sit at a table full of vomit no hands really not even the kid not even the kids I could normally count on to raise their hand while we're counting up soul winning numbers we're saying who did this and who that the kids that normally would raise their hands they're going no no I don't want to sit at a table full of vomit see it doesn't take that much even even the babes understand that's not fun at all but guess what that's what alcohol brings and if you ever have the the unfortunate experience of walking into a place that like a bar that serves alcohol one of the things you're going to notice is that it stinks it stinks unfortunately I used to frequent places like that and you know what it stinks and it doesn't matter how hard you try to clean up those places it's like it's so sinful that you just can't scrub it clean I think that's just the way that God made it it's like you could be using the bleach you could use all this other stuff to try to clean that up and you'll notice too like bars have little they have like sewer drains oftentimes just in the floor whether they're serving because why because they knew that it's going to spill and they know that it stinks because ultimately what it is I mean fermented stuff it's it's rotten in a sense I mean you've got this decaying substance in it and it's when it spills it it stinks and not only does it spill or distinct when it spills it's it's the the vomit it's everything else that goes along with it it's nasty it's filthy Bible says table the full vomit and filthiness so that there's no place clean and God forbid you ever have to use the restroom in one of those places it's horrible you know it's not just bars this doesn't just happen you know obviously it happens a lot there I was friend with someone long time ago when when I was in high school and you know like my parents we didn't they didn't really drink they would every once in a while parties would have some alcohol for some people like like not very much very it was not it was not a big part of our life at all you know our house was kept clean but I would go over when my friend's house who they were throwing keggers for like a three-year-old's birthday party and it was just it was just all the time right like like every but very dysfunctional family there's always holes in the walls because there's all the fighting because guess what that that's also what alcohol is going to bring when people are getting drunk you have a lot of people just getting into fights because not only does your judgment go but you have a hard time controlling your temper and controlling yourself your self-control goes out the window that's I mean it's all under the umbrella of judgment right you use your judgment you use the sermon you you you you try to determine what's right and what's wrong well you start losing your control you really control yourself control your emotions control your temper and you start doing things you normally wouldn't do to the point to where people just get in fights because they're easily triggered they you know someone steps on their toe or looks at them the wrong way and all of a sudden there's fists flying look you don't want it it's not fun it's not cool you'll want to be around that and oftentimes you may not be the one getting in trouble or looking for trouble but when you're in the wrong place bad things happen when you're around people that do that stuff you don't just stay away from it I mean you know when people get drunk and get and get angry and then start shooting up a place like it's better just not to be around there at all you don't be collateral damage where there's a bunch of sinful people doing sinful things but I was talking about this you know this place you know I brought up restrooms in the bars how filthy out how dirty they are and we used to like going to this this guy's house because his mom didn't care if we you know if the kids were drinking alcohol so as a kid you think that's great you think that's a lot of fun oh man as an unsaved kid as a worldly kid right with the group of friends I hung out with we thought it was cool it's not cool we got to see you know I would only be there for short periods of time when we go and we'd be able to you know drink the booze but then it was like you know I never really liked like when I was sober when you go in there you look in that restroom be like man this is filthy nothing like it was in my house but then when people you know get drunk they're on their hands and knees in front of that toilet bowl that nasty thing that you didn't even really want to use you'd rather go outside now all of a sudden your face is like an inch away from the porcelain it's filthy okay and this happens this isn't a one-off this isn't oh pastor bird is trying to shock me look this is a regular thing this is what alcohol brings this is what beer and wine is gonna bring you it doesn't bring you what the movie show you it doesn't bring you what the billboard shows you it's not about people playing volleyball and basketball and all these sports and smiling and they've got like a margarita in their hand or something that's stupid it's alive don't believe it and the reason why people think it's because you're a fool when you're doing it and you may laugh you may see people laughing but like I said when you start to see it from it from the sober person's perspective you're pretty stupid after I quit drinking because I made a vow unto God that I would never touch alcohol again and I never have ever since I made that vow but I was you are trying to do what's right and I knew it was wrong for a long time and I struggle with that skin when God probably finally helped me to get over that sin I still wasn't at the place where I would just completely forsake all of the venues and everything else because I saw a lot of worldly friends I wasn't going to church yet I wasn't really getting right with God other than getting the alcohol in my life so what I would do is I started still hanging out and still going to these places and that's when it really light bulb really went on for me because I start to see how I would have been acting had I been drinking alcohol with these people because I see the way they're acting and you just kind of go along with the group and everything else and I start thinking like wow you start to get pretty irritated because drunk people act really stupid and foolish and say stupid things to where that even when I wasn't really spiritual and really godly at all even then I'm thinking like I don't really want to be around this anymore stay away from alcohol it's not good for you I could go on and on all night whether it be personal experience or whether it be scripture it's not worth it it's filthy it's disgusting it's full of vomit and filthiness and no place is clean as a result let's keep reading verse number nine the Bible says whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts so who is God going to teach knowledge to who's really going to be able to receive knowledge and understand good doctrine well you need to be mature enough and old enough to be able to have more understanding to start gaining knowledge and really understanding doctrine now you can turn if you're the first Peter chapter 2 and we're going to turn away from there after after I'm done reading this passage but keep a bookmark there because we're going to go back to it later on in the sermon first Peter chapter 2 see spiritually when you when you're born again when you put your faith in Christ you become a babe in Christ you become a child of God and the moment you're born into Christ you're a babe in Christ and you need to grow before you can really start to understand real biblical knowledge and start getting great doctrinal understanding you start off as a spiritual babe right and this is what the Bible is talking about who you gonna teach not at all you have to be weaned from the milk and drawn from the best breast like little little babies that are that are sucklings that that that nurse from from their mother's breast they can't handle real food they're just getting you know that that nourishment and that sustenance that they need because they're a baby but guess what the babies grow to where they don't need that anymore and they start to learn and grow more and they start to learn how to walk and crawl and you know crawl and walk usually and then you you learn how to talk and you learn how to do other things right that's we see that all the time it's a natural human development well it's very similar spiritually you have to start by getting the milk of the word the real simple things a basic doctrine so to understand the simple things from the Word of God because the spiritually discerned and and depending on when you got saved and what your experiences many people I've talked to have experienced the same exact thing I got saved when I was 20 years old and I had tried reading the Bible prior to being saved and whenever I read the Bible it was just a big I just didn't understand it at all I can read other books I wasn't a stupid person I was relatively intelligent as far as being able to understand things and have reading comprehension and having an education but when I go to read the Bible I had no idea what is talking about at all and I remember this because I was I was old enough I was a young adult when I was reading the Bible to know that I didn't know what it said it didn't really make sense to me yes I could understand the comprehension of reading the words of course and but what was the point I never really got it I didn't really understand it and then when you get saved you start to see things you're like oh man now I'm now it just opened up to you and you could you could start to understand some things but the understanding at the beginning is still small I remember I had I don't know if I still have it or not but I had a note a Bible that you could write notes in that was gifted to me so I started reading that and I've made some notes early on when I was saved and then I went back and looked at them years and years I forgot I didn't even know I don't remember making the notes but it was in my handwriting so I know that I made the notes and I made notes in some places where I was right on the actual doctrine but I was wrong about that what that verse was saying still so it was I made some notes somewhere it's kind of like about eternal security because I believe that that you were saying you know and this was before I even was going to a good church I still you know because I was saved I believed like hey I know it's forever and I was trying to see oh yeah I think this verse is talking about this it wasn't but I was trying to understand things and I was starting to get things a little bit more but I was still a babe and still just needed the milk and I was learning these fundamentals and these basic things you don't start getting real knowledge and in deep doctrine until you get the basics down until you you've been weaned off of the simple things just like in the book of Hebrews you know Bible says you know but now we're going to you know the the doctrine of baptisms of faith of repentance you know like like we're going to move beyond this stuff right the simple things with baptism that's a real simple thing salvation it's a real simple thing right in order to receive the knowledge you need to be weaned from the milk first Peter chapter 2 verse number 1 the Bible says wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby if so be you have tasted at the Lord is gracious so he's instructing people hey desire you should want to get the milk of the word as a babe in Christ so that you can grow you should want to read the Bible so the same way that a little infant a little suckling when they get hungry I mean they want they want that milk right man I want that milk and they don't even always realize that it's to grow they just they get that herbs they want that milk we as Christians baby Christians ought to want to grow spiritually and understand more well the only way that's going to happen you need you need to be nerd getting nourishment from the Word of God you need to desire that sincere milk of the word and want to have it so that you can grow there by and then the more you get of that the more you're going to grow and then you're really going to start being taught the knowledge and the doctrine because you know you've been weaned from the breast because now you understand all the milk of the word you're ready to start moving to the next level of understanding deeper things and and and more serious truths from the Word of God and then verse 10 in Isaiah 28 keep your place in 1st Peter 2 we're going to come back to that so verse 9 again about says whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts verse 10 for precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little in there a little so a precept is just you know it's like a thought it's it's a it's a teaching it's a you know you have to learn one thing on another a little bit here a little bit there you're not going to learn everything overnight okay there's no there's no magic thing that happens you know yes there's a there's a transformation there's a new creatures born inside of you when you're born again that the scales are removed from your eyes and you're going to be able to understand the Word of God but it's not this instant thing like you're being plugged into the matrix and you're downloading all knowledge from the Bible okay that that that's not all works so they expect well I'm saved now so I just understand everything about the Bible no of course not you're saved now now you're baby in Christ you need to grow and learn and and this is why God gave pastors and teachers and churches to supply help supply that need so that the pastors can help feed the flock so that there there can be this teaching and growing and that people can learn in truth and we just need to keep humble enough and not full of pride into thinking that well I know everything I mean you I run in unsaved people like that all the time well I know what the Bible says I've read the Bible before now one guy told me read the Bible you know twice or so it's like wow two times all right and is that even true probably not you know most people haven't when they say that they probably read different parts of it twice but really Genesis to Revelation twice and and and it shouldn't be that that surprising and doubtful to read a book twice right but it's the Bible and most people don't but my point is this okay growing spiritually gaining knowledge takes time you're gonna learn a little bit here a little bit there don't get hung up don't get worried if you come across something you don't understand it man I said you know what you could pray about it you could ask God to open up your understanding ask God hey because because God wants you to have wisdom God wants you have knowledge and and he will help you understand things but don't get stuck on anything you know why because precepts gonna come on precept because maybe there's something else foundational that you need to learn before you go understand that truth that that passage is talking about so you're gonna just keep going and you're gonna learn and and you know what you might not feel like you learn anything many days you read the Bible and I was just talking to my kids about this at dinner today and and you know hopefully they're listening and paying attention because you have to have a habit of reading you have to get this ingrained say you know I'm gonna do this because I know it's right I'm gonna do this because I want this like like a newborn baby I desire that sincere milk of the word I want to grow I want to have knowledge I want to have good doctrine I want to have wisdom I want this to be able to guide me and lead me through my life so that I could make good choices and I try to express this to my kids today you know you look I don't want them to make the same choices that my wife and I made in our lives I don't want them to have to learn firsthand about the filthy table that's full of vomit only learn about it not through experience but through the Word of God I wasn't reading this I wasn't being taught this at all when I was younger I mean I wasn't even saved but I wasn't being taught this when I was younger just wasn't that big of a deal I wish I'd have been taught this but here's the thing you don't you may read it and be like well I feel like anything but if you keep reading and reading and reading you have to understand this is something that's gonna take years the precept on precept you're gonna look you're gonna read one day you go oh that's that's interesting I'm you know you might learn something and then not really think about it again and then maybe a couple years later you're gonna read you're gonna understand something else and then you understand something else and it's all built off of that foundation and you're building and gaining knowledge and wisdom and you know what though it takes years and years and years to really grow this is also why for someone to fill the office of a bishop you can't be a novice you can't be new why because you haven't had enough time of growth now the cool thing about spiritual growth is that it's not a one-to-one correlation with physical growth right you know it's not necessarily going to take you know 18 years until you're spiritually mature you can grow faster than people can grow physically if you're feeding your spirit enough and learning but that being said there still is time involved to becoming mature in your spiritual life and a lot of people think that they've arrived after a very short period of growth and unfortunately way too many people get lifted up with pride early in their Christian growth because they've learned so much when you go through a growth spurt it's really cool you learn a lot of I mean it's it's it's kind of amazing you could be on this this high right you have this zeal you're going man this is great I'm understanding so much more things and you feel like you've accumulated so much knowledge and you have but don't let that knowledge puff you up into not realizing there's still a long way to go and it's it's like this when people get to spiritual teenage status is what it is that's exactly what it is you liken it to the physical because when people and sorry teenagers it's just the way it is those of you that are here today maybe you can relate to this maybe not but but so often what teenagers think is that they know everything I'm an adult now I know everything I'm this age I'm this say whatever like like you have learned a lot you've grown a lot physically you may have grown into what's what you know adulthood okay but don't think that you're on the same level of wisdom as people who are 30 years your elder because you're not because you there's a lot to be said for just people who are gay you know precept upon precept line upon line here a little and they're a little and you know what the longer the time is the more you accumulate and the spirit you know the the physical teenager they think they know everything I know better than this person ever young and they I I know better than everybody and all their friends think the same thing no encourage you I was a teenager too I know what it's like but spiritually people get to this point you see the same thing they learn a lot they grow a lot they kind of feel like they know it all and then they start trash-talking people I've seen people trash-talk men of God that just because they're not doing things the way they would do it or they see something where maybe the other person is an error but then there's gonna start you know spouting off the mouth and say they don't know anything and there's such an idiot and it's like there's such an idiot huh well six months ago you didn't know that either and now they're such an idiot eight months ago you aren't even saved and they're the idiot so hold on a second don't let yourself be that person that gets so lifted up with pride that you think oh because you're experienced hey get the good growth amen to that I love that but don't let that puff you up in your knowledge either Bible says knowledge puff it up but charity edify you need to be able to edify people with that knowledge not puff yourself up you need to help other people hey if you if you've received knowledge the whole point of that now how about you impart that knowledge into someone else and help them help build them up instead of going around talking about how smart you are no stupid they are you're like a spiritual teenager precept upon precept line upon line here a little that's how you're gonna gain knowledge it takes time don't get discouraged when you read and you feel like you're not understanding things keep at it keep at it day after day day after day month after month year upon year and then one day you'll look back and go wow if you ever stop and think I really have learned a lot I really have grown a lot you don't see it on the day to day but that's not how the Christian life is measured it's not by day to day it's it's year to year it's decade to decade stay in it the learning comes a little here and a little there and that's why I honestly you know even sermons I try not to put too much into a sermon why because you know I've been doing the sowing marathon or workshops excuse me because no matter how much I split you know give out you're only going to be able to take so much in and everybody's like that I don't care who you are you know mentally you become weary and even though it comes a Bible you can't just read the Bible like 24-7 and still be able to think you're gonna be able to just retain everything like a sponge is everything that goes in there's a breaking point so so get in the practice of going you know what I'm gonna do a little here a little there I'm gonna just keep doing this I'm gonna read enough so I can get some understanding I'm not just gonna do one verse okay or the you know the verse of the day or whatever I'm gonna read enough but it's but it's I mean when you start just making it hours and hours and hours you're gonna get to a point where going like I can't even think anymore you won't be able to retain it you're gonna learn a little time here and there just stay at it that's the key consistency verse 11 says for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people to whom he said this is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing yet they would not hear now keep your place here turn if you would the first Corinthians chapter 14 we see this this verse 11 quoted in first Corinthians 14 I have a lot to cover I'm going to try to get through some of this stuff real quick there's a stammering lips and another tongue another tongue is another language those people speak another language and stammering lips that someone you know someone stutters or stammers they're not necessarily an eloquent speaker so you have stammering lips a foreign language he says that's who's going to speak to this people and I and this is prophecy because we see this quoted in the New Testament he says to whom he said this is the rest wherewith you may cause a weary to rest and this is refreshing yet they would not hear look at verse number 18 bounces I thank my God I speak with tongues more than y'all in first Corinthians 14 is all is a majority about speaking with other tongues in Paul's instruction to the church verse 19 says yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also then 10,000 words in an unknown tongue brethren be not children in understanding now that's also interesting because what we read in Isaiah 28 the same thing not to you know that we're supposed to be learning precept upon precept but don't be children and understanding I'll be in malice be children but in understanding be men we want to grow we want to get smarter run again knowledge we want to gain wisdom verse 21 says in the law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people and yet for all that will they not hear me set the Lord wherefore tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not but prophesying service not for them that believe not but for them which believe he's proving he's coming to the conclusion that the the whole point of having the speaking with another tongue he said that's a sign for the unsaved and he comes that conclusion based on the scripture in Isaiah 28 that we just read for with stammering lips another tongue we speak this we will said yet what they would not hear who wouldn't hear the unbelievers many people did but he's saying but still as a whole they didn't accept it and what we see in Isaiah 28 I think this is pretty cool to what were they saying says seven it's another time we speak to these people to whom he said so here's what he said this is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing so what is he preaching the gospel the rest that you find in Jesus Christ Jesus is the rest from your works instead of trusting in your own works your own deeds man I work my way to heaven I got to do this I do that hey he's preaching rest to the worries preaching rest and refreshing yet they would not hear and this is what was preached in Acts chapter 2 the day of Pentecost when they were filled with the spirit and they spake with other tongues with men of other tongues and stammering lips they preached now it was a sign because the people are going wow these people we could hear them speak in our own language but even after that sign now many people got saved right about 3,000 people got saved hearing these these men of God preaching with other you know in their own language but there are still so many multitudes more that did not I mean how about the Jews themselves they weren't you know they weren't they still the Pharisees the unbelieving Jews are still just rejecting rejecting it he says they will not hear even with all that even with these signs they're still won't hear back to Isaiah 28 verse number 13 the Bible says but the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little so now he brings this up again but there's a there's a different outcome with this see we still learn free there upon precept be saying that they might go and fall backward and be broken ensnared and taken so the teaching is there but when people reject it and they don't hear well now you're going to be broken so God's trying to teach you but when you reject the teaching you reject the instruction from the Lord what happens you fall back you're broken you're snared and you're taken and this is what I believe also is included in the prophecy from Isaiah 610 I'll read from Matthew 13 for you the Bible says therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not in hearing they hear not neither do they understand and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which saith by hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive for those people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them this was this was this was prophesied in Isaiah 610 and I covered that in Isaiah 6 sermon but I believe we're seeing the same type of event here being explained in verse 13 we're saying yeah they were getting the Word of God it was precept upon precept they were getting the parables they were getting this teaching but they rejected it their their heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing they didn't hear it they didn't receive it they didn't want to hear it so he says that's why they're gonna you know that they're gonna go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken let's go back to Isaiah 28 I'm trying to hurry now because I'm running very short on time verse number 14 Bible reads wherefore hear the word of the Lord ye scornful men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem because ye have said we have made a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves and you know this is the same stupid attitude that people will say like well it's better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven right you've heard people say stupid comments like that well I'm gonna be ruling and reigning with the devil in hell and people are proud of the fact that they say like well I'm going to hell right and I think they're cool and I think they're tough and some people literally like some Satanists literally think that they're gonna be in positions of power in hell like it's like it's the Dominion and the kingdom of hell and they're gonna be having some some high position of power because they're a wicked person on this earth and they think that they're gonna continue to have some level of power and authority and they're not and they're not because one of these people saying they're saying we've made a covenant with death a covenant with watch out for people who make a covenant with death death is not a good thing it's it's foolish people who don't even understand what they're saying apparently saying we're gonna make a covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement okay I got no problem with hell you're gonna have a problem when you're in hell when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come in us or saying oh we're gonna be protected we won't be hurt by this for we have made lies out refuge our safety is in their lives they say we lie enough we'll lie our way out of it and under falsehood have we hid ourselves verse 16 thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious cornerstone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste I want to get to back to that in just a second verse 17 judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet in the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies saying your refuge that you're seeking in your lies he said the hail is gonna wipe that away when he's bringing his his pouring out his wrath on this earth and using hailstones he's saying you know yeah that refuge your cover of lies that's gonna be gone real quick you think that's gonna protect you guess again and the water shall overflow the hiding place there's nowhere you can hide from the wrath of God you think you're so smart you think you're making a pact with the devil and you're gonna you know you're at agreement with hell guess what you got another thing coming verse 18 and your covenant with death shall be disanoled so you you you sold your soul you think you made this great agreement guess what God is disannoying that you fool you thought you bought yourself this position in hell you got a position in hell but it's not what you thought it was and your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall pass through then you shall be trodden down by it you can't escape you can't you're gonna be ruling and reigning in hell you're gonna be being burned and tortured and tormented and the smoke of your torments gonna send up forever and ever like it's going to do to Satan and the Beast and the false prophet and every other soul that's in hell no one is ruling and reigning there other than Jesus Christ himself God rules hell just as much as God rules heaven and God rules all his creation God is the supreme authority but you hopefully you kept your place in 1st Peter chapter 2 I just want to cover this real quick because there's awesome passage about Jesus Christ being the pressure cornerstone in verse 16 there of Isaiah 28 therefore thus said the Lord God behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a precious cornerstone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste now and not enough time ever I've heard teaching before and it comes from the false versions that that cornerstone is really a capstone has anyone heard that before it comes from the false versions it comes from the from the the NIV the modern perversions of the Bible they'll say capstone instead of cornerstone and and I don't believe that for a second that's talking about the capsule on the top of like a pyramid and they'll try to say oh yeah look the Egyptians there you know and again it's part of this whole New Age mindset and in Baptist will even go as far as to start promoting this junk I've heard Kent Hovind saying this Hovind theory this stuff about about this you know Jesus maybe being a capstone and yeah I've heard it and and so don't then this is why I'm bringing it up don't be fooled by this stuff because that's where the false versions are gonna bring you into this nonsense the New Age teachings gonna bring you in this nonsense the Egyptians were not really worshiping because they'll say oh but like the Hebrews could have been used as a slave to build the pyramids and everything else so there you know they were you know no no those are pagan you know devil worshiping monuments and things for heathen people they're not worshiping the Lord Jesus isn't the capstone he's the cornerstone which is why every other reference in this verse he's he's he's saying found eight where's the foundation it's not at the top my friend you don't lay a foundation at the top that's not the support like we're gonna rest everything on the capstone on the thing that's at the very very top that's stupid it's like an that would be like an inverted pyramid you know it still has to be at the bottom though no a foundation so as about a tried stone so it's true it's gonna you know it's solid he's gonna work a precious corner stone a shore foundation it's at the low level just like the Bible says if any man build upon this foundation what's the foundation Christ he's the foundation that's the base that's the starting point first Peter chapter 2 verse number one again we read this a little bit earlier we're for letting us all malice and God hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desires sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby if so be of taste at the Lord is gracious to whom coming is unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice is acceptable to God by Jesus Christ wherefore also it is contained in the scripture which is where we're at right now in Isaiah 28 behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded so here it is he that believeth shall not make haste obviously when the Bible if you say I don't understand what that means he shall not make haste well it means he shall not be confounded if that helps you understand a little bit better because that's what the New Testament says when it quotes the Old Testament so that's what's cool about that you say you're not quite understanding so I don't know exactly what that means well look it's quoted here that'll help you understand what that means you're not gonna you're not gonna be confounded verse 7 unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient were unto also they were appointed now I wanted to bring this up just because I think it's just really cool when you and and you should you know practice is hopefully if not just hear it in church at least when you have New Testament quoting Old Testament and these references how much of the passage you can really apply we already applied the the newborn babes with a precept upon precept that thought being there and it and it's it's interesting to me I think it's cool seeing how much of that passage other than just the one quote ties in with the other passage and the truth being being you know the extra learning you're going to be able to get by it by putting these passages side by side and reading them both fully in context to glean as much knowledge as you can from both of them because they're clearly bringing up similar if not the same concepts right even if it's not 100% identical they're they're close enough where you could see wow yes it's both talking about gaining knowledge receiving wisdom and then people rejecting the Lord and and then of course and I said we already read the verses here where God's gonna gonna dissin all their agreement with hell and our covenant with death and in those things just like Jesus you know to those that believe they're not gonna be confounded but to those that don't he's gonna break them right and you see that same pattern of truth being taught here and and I'm like out of time for the sermon so I wanted to make sure at least got that out so go ahead and read these passages later on when you have more time and just kind of study them out because there is more to learn here there's more to learn I just can only express so much verse number 19 I'm gonna try to at least just get through this passage Bible says from the time that it goeth forth that shall take you from morning by morning shall pass over you over by day and by night and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it for the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Parazim he shall be Roth as in the Valley of Gibeon that he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his act his strange act now therefore be ye not mockers lest your bands be made strong for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth and that verse there in verse 20 is talking about the bed is shorter than man can stretch himself so things just not being quite sufficient right man's ways aren't sufficient you need God to cover you know having a little covering it's just too small to cover so I mean you know being out in the elements we have a cold and you've got a blanket but it doesn't quite cover you right this is what he's talking about or you've got a bed but it's not quite big enough your feet hanging off your heads hanging off your arm you know something just this is not quite enough it's not quite sufficient is what he's describing here because what they have is not sufficient it's not enough you need the Lord and that's what he says in verse 22 you know don't be mockers because if you mock God is your bands are gonna be made strong your cuffs your chains you know God's gonna make sure that that your you know imprisonment is basically going to be strong if I've heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth because judgments coming right so don't mock and what what do people do in the end times they're gonna be mockers in the last days they're gonna be mocking where is it where is the sign of his coming you know all that let's let's finish off the chapter verse number 23 give ye ear and hear my voice hearken and hear my speech that the plowmen plow all day to sow that the open and break the clouds of his ground when he hath made plain the face thereof that the nap cast abroad the pitches and scatter the cumin and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place for his God death instruct him to discretion and doth teach him for the pitches are not thrashed with a threshing instrument neither is a cartwheel turned about upon the cumin but the pitches are beaten out with a staff and a cumin with a rod bread corn is bruised because he will not ever be threshing it nor break it with the wheel of his cart nor bruise it with his horsemen this also coming forth from the Lord of hosts which is wonderful in counsel and excellent and working I don't know what that means I hate to stand up here and say that but I don't know enough about the cumin and the pitches and the wheat and how that is produced obviously there's something going on here where he's saying that you use a threshing instrument or use a the rod to beat it out as opposed to using a wheel and it was a wheel be used like grind it and these other tools will be used for other purposes but I'm just going to be honest with you I don't know the spiritual application of this so if you know what the spiritual application is you could tell me and we're out of time so let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father Lord we thank you so much for this passage and for all that we can learn I pray that you please continue to open up our understanding and our knowledge and that you'd lead us and guide us dear Lord and truth and wisdom I pray for the for the children especially in our church I pray that you please help them to gain their own relationship with you and to be able to learn precept upon precept and all the people who are spiritually young dear Lord and those are spiritually mature help us all just to continue to stay strong in the faith and to learn precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little dear Lord and not to worry if we don't understand everything like like as the case is tonight for me dear Lord I don't understand absolutely everything in the Bible I'm not perfect I pray to you please open up my understanding about these things better and help us all to learn and to grow more to Jesus name we pray amen