“FOUR REASONS WHY WE MUST NOT TURN OUR BACK ON …
“FOUR REASONS WHY WE MUST NOT TURN OUR BACK ON GOD”
ISAIAH 31:1
INTRO: Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “…NO MAN, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Our LORD
spoke these words to a man who had promised to follow Jesus but
first her wanted to return home to say goodbye to his family. The
words Jesus spoke to him hit home. The man got the point, and he
probably never forgot it. It more than likely pricked his conscience
and disturbed him often as the saying flashed across his mind. He
had willed to follow Christ, but he “had looked back”; therefore, he
was not fit for the Kingdom of God. The idea is this. A man who
begins to plough and then looks back...
• ploughs a crooked row. No row (person) is ever straight, not like it should be. (Each row or person receives only partial teaching.)
• ploughs an inconsistent field. The field under his care is never matured; it never receives consistent work.
• ploughs in a spirit lacking total commitment. He may turn away at any time, leaving a job unfinished.
• ploughs but allows distractions and disruptions which affect the crops (the plants are not cared for).
It seems many have turned their back on God today. Many who use
to be faithful to God and His work, but now have become unprofitable
and useless to the cause of Christ.
Such is the case with the Israelites in our text, instead of following
God and keeping her eyes on Him, depending on him, they have
turned to the world for help. God said in Isaiah 31:1, “Woe to them
that go down to Egypt for help..” Egypt in the Scripture is a type of
the world. Judah wanted to make an alliance with the Egyptians
because the Egyptian cavalry was superior to anything that they had.
In their level and fertile plains horses could easily be used and fed
(Exo_14:9; 1Ki_10:28). In hilly Palestine horses were not so easily had
or available. The Jews were therefore the more eager to get Egyptian
chariots as allies against the Assyrian cavalry (Jamieson, Fausett &
Brown Commentary on Isaiah). So instead of looking for God’s help
against their enemy, Assyria, Judah looked to the world.
Because of this planned alliance, God pronounced judgment on the
Nation. Notice the word WOE, it means “Alas,” it denotes regret,
sorrow and disaster.” What a sorrow for man to turn his back on
God. What a disaster! When will we learn to trust God and not seek
out worldly help and our own devices? I want to speak on this subject
this morning: “FOUR REASONS WHY WE MUST NOT TURN OUR
BACK ON GOD.”
WE MUST NOT TURN OUR BACKS ON GOD BECAUSE:
(1) GOD HAS BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE
DEUTERONOMY 8:1-2—“ALL the commandments which I
command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye
may live…And thou shalt remember all the way which
the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know
what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep
his commandments or no.”
*Had the people forgotten how God had led them, protected them, and
provided for them on their journey to the Promised Land? We must
never forget that where we are today is all because of the Grace of
Almighty God! He is:
A. Great (Psalm 145:3). There is no greater guide than God. There is no
greater helper than God.
ILLUS: Step by Step
He does not lead me year by year
Not even day by day But step by step my path unfolds;
My Lord directs my way. Tomorrows plans I do not know,
I only know this minute; But He will say, "This is the way;
By faith now walk ye in it." And I am glad that it is so,
Todays enough to bear; And when tomorrow comes,
His grace shall far exceed its care. What need to worry then or fret?
The God who gave His Son Holds all my moments in His Hand
And gives them one by one.
.... Trust in the Lord Proverbs 3:5-7
B. Good (Psalm 100:5; Lamentations 3:22-23). The LORD has been
and is so good to each one of us. Where would we be apart from the
LORD’S goodness? Sometimes we question His goodness when
tragedy strikes, but even in tragedy, God’s goodness can be realized.
ILLUS: When a father received word that his son, a brilliant lad, had
been killed in a railway accident, he turned to his pastor and
cried in desperation, "Tell me, sir, where was God when my
son was killed?" And in that tense and terrible moment
guidance was given to the counseling pastor. "My friend," said
he, "God was just where He was when His own Son was,
killed! " --Christian Digest
If God had not been good to mankind He would have spared His Son
the cruel death on the Cross, but out of goodness He spared not His
Son (Romans 8:31-32).
ILLUS: The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You
might never have been, but you are because the party
wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world.
Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I
am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I
created the universe. I love you.
But there's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of
grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it.
Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.
-- Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking: A Theological
ABC. Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 4.
We must never turn our back on God because God is great and good.
God has brought to where we are.
(2) GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL OF THIS WORLD
PSALM 135:6—“Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in
heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.”
Isaiah 46:9-10—“Remember the former things of old: for I am God,
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the begin-
ning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
*Praise God, He is still in control. Even though this world may seem
chaotic and confusing at times, He still has everything in His power.
A. His Power does not change (Job 37:23). Notice the words “excellent
in power..” which mean “mighty in strength, power, force and sub-
substance.” Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not man, that he should lie;
neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he
not do? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
ILLUS: A. B. Simpson said:
"Whatever God has ever done, He can do again!"
"Whatever God has ever done anywhere, He can do here."
"Anything God has done for anyone, He can do for you."
B. His Promises do not change (Hebrews 10:23). We must
never turn our back on God because when He promises us something
He will keep His promise.
ILLUS: Everet Storms was a schoolteacher in Kitchener, Canada when
he took the challenge to discover how many promises were in
the Bible. For a year and a half he scoured the pages of Scrip-
ture and took detailed notes. During his 27th reading of the
entire Bible, Storms concluded that the Bible contains 7,487
promises by God to man. 2 Peter 1:4 reminds us that God’s
promises are “precious and magnificent,” and Romans 3:4
assures us that God can be trusted to deliver on His promises.
(All The Promises of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer, 1962, p. 10)
C. His Program does not change (Phils. 1:6). Being persuaded - The
grounds of which persuasion are set down in the following verse. That
he who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of
Christ - That he who having justified, hath begun to sanctify you, will
carry on this work, till it issue in glory (John Wesley, Philippians).
ILLUS: In our age, God is not putting everything right. This is still the
time of His patience; He is working in individuals. Perhaps the
best expression of His purpose in this age of the Church is to
be found in James’ summary of Simon Peter’s speech at the
council of Jerusalem: “Simeon hath declared how God at the
first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His
name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is
written, After this I will return, and will build again the taber-
nacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up. That the residue of men
might seek after the LORD, and all the Gentiles, upon whom
my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all things.” (Acts
15:14-17)
It is very important that we, as Christians, go along with God’s
program and not seek to have one of our own that is contrary
to and not seek to have one of our own that is contrary to His.
We cannot put things right and rule; the LORD Jesus alone
can do this. It is not even in line with His purpose and grace
to do this now, for when He puts right it will be with a “rod of
iron.” The Christian’s business is “to serve the living and true
God” by doing only what He wants done. He has revealed His
purpose, which is “taking out a people for His name.” If we
work in line with this purpose, success will crown our efforts
and we shall be blessed. Individuals will come to the know-
ledge of Jesus Christ as Savior; that very knowledge will trans-
form their lives and bring untold happiness in the midst of this
world of sin. When the last individual is brought out of this
world-the last living stone added to complete the edifice-then
He, the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, will come to
put right and rule. He alone can do it, and He can do it alone
(1).
ILLUS: “With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the
wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it,
what do we lack?”-A. W. Tozer (2).
ILLUS: In 2000, Roger Bruns authored, Almost History: Close Calls,
Plan Bs, and Twists of Fate in American History. This book
chronicles certain events of history with interesting views of
some “what ifs.” On the day before D-Day, June 5, 1944,
General Dwight Eisenhower anticipated victory, but knew
defeat was possible. For this reason he jotted a small note:
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain
a satisfactory foothold, and I have withdrawn the troops. My
decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the
best information available. The troops, the air (corps) and the
Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any
blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”
Richard Nixon knew the moon landing of Apollo 11 was no
sure success so he had a tragic eulogy prepared: “Fate has
ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in
peace, will stay on the moon to rest in peace.” During the
Cold War era, an audience was supposed to hear these words
at a Dallas luncheon on November 22, 1963: “We in this
country, in this generation are-by destiny rather than choice-
the watchmen on the wall of world freedom.” President
Kennedy was assassinated on his way to the meeting so that
speech was never delivered. John Glenn is remembered for
being the first American to orbit the earth, but nobody in the
space industry could tell him how many orbits he would make,
where he would land, or how quickly he’d be picked up. Fear-
ing he might land among hostile natives somewhere, Glenn
carried a short speech translated in several languages with
phonetic pronunciations. It read, “I am a stranger. I come in
peace. Take me to your leader, and there will be a massive
reward for you in eternity.” This book reveals the delicate veil
which hangs between what is and what could have been. Yet
we can be certain that all of history, the present, and the
future remains under the complete control of God (3).
GOD’S POWER DOES NOT CHANGE, GOD’S PROMISES DO NOT
CHANGE, and GOD’S PROGRAM DOES NOT CHANGE. God is still in
control in the world thus we must not turn on back on God.
(3) GOD LOVED US ENOUGH TO GIVE HIS SON FOR US
John 3:16—“For God SO LOVED the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.”
Ephesians 2:4-10
A. God Did Not Turn His Back on Us. Even when:
1. We were dead in trespasses and sins (v5). Sin is the death of
the soul. A man dead in trespasses and sins has no desire for
spiritual pleasures. When we look upon a corpse, it gives an
awful feeling. This is the condition of us all before Christ
makes us alive and anew (v1; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
2. We walked according to the course of this world (v2). The
course of this world--the career (literally, "the age," compare
Gal_1:4), or present system of this world (1Co_2:6, 1Co_2:12;
1Co_3:18-19, as opposed to "the world to come"): alien from
God, and lying in the wicked one (1Jo_5:19).
3. We had our conversation in the lusts of our flesh (v3). The
word Conversation here literally means “lifestyle, business.” In
other words, It was our lifestyle or business to fulfill the desires
of the flesh.
4. We were His enemies (Cols. 1:20-21). When we hated every
thing that God stood for. When we didn’t want anyone
“preaching” to us. When God was the furthest thing from our
minds.
Even so Christ died for us! God saw the wickedness of man upon the
Earth and yet He still sent His Son to die in our place (Ephs. 2:5).
THREE GREAT WORDS DESCRIBE THE MATCHLESS REMEDY GOD
PROVIDED FOR SINNERS:
• Mercy. “But God, who is rich in mercy…” If a man is to escape the wrath of God (which he deserves), the escape can come only by and through the undeserved mercy, the unmerited favor, of a holy God. In the fulness of time Jesus was born (Gals. 4:4); He died on the rugged cross while God’s creatures mocked, sneered and jeered. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God’s mercy glories and rejoices in pardon of every sinner who will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Love. “But God..for His great love wherewith He loved us...” God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners..totally depraved, despicable, sordid, ungodly, hateful, hating one another..Christ died for us.
• Grace. “..By grace ye are saved..” The age-old definition of Grace, accepted by most believers, is simply “God’s unmerited favor.” On the grounds and basis of the righteousness provided by the Grace of God, God sets aside man’s just deserts…He overlooks man’s demerit and ill desert as though man had never sinned. God’s mercy, God’s love, and God’s grace are the sole source and secret of our glorious salvation (Oliver B. Greene, The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians. PP. 77-83).
B. Will You Turn Your Back On God? (Jeremiah 32:33). Even though:
1. His Grace is Unlimited (Romans 5:20; James 4:6).
2. His Glory is Unsurpassed (Psalms 8:1).
3. His Gifts are Unparalleled (James 1:17).
Will you turn from Him when:
1. Trials seem overwhelming.
2. Temptations seem overcoming.
3. Troubles seem overflowing.
God never turned His back on us when we were HELPLESS, HOPELESS, and HELLBOUND. Will you turn your back on God?
(4) GOD WILL HAVE THE LAST WORD IN JUDGMENT
Ezekiel 24:14—“I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass,
and I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I
repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings,
shall they judge thee, saith the LORD GOD.”
A. Every Work will be Revealed (Eccs. 12:13-14). Wicked men may
think they are getting away with their wickedness, but Almighty God
will one day bring all their wickedness out in the open. The Almighty
Judge will bring to light the things of darkness and manifest the
counsels of all hearts.
B. Every Wrong will be Righted (Colossians 3:25). Every injustice,
abuse, hurt, and crime will be repaid (Romans 12:19).
ILLUS: When God judges, He judges according to the principles that are
inherent in Himself. He will “by no means clear the guilty”
(Numbers 14:18). Though He will pardon freely those who debt
has been paid by His Savior Son, “He repayeth them that hate him
to their face, to destroy them; he will not be slack to him that
hateth him, he will repay him to his face” (Deut. 7:10). He “re-
gardeth not persons, nor taketh reward” (Deut. 10:17). “He hath
prepared his throne for judgment; and he shall judge the world in
righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in
uprightness” (Ps. 9:7, 8). “Shall not Judge of all the earth do
right?” (Gen. 18:25). (4)
Why should we turn our back on God when He, the Righteous Judge, will
One day make all wrongs right?
CLOSING: We must never turn our back on God because: GOD BROUGHT US
TO WHERE WE ARE, GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL OF THIS
WORLD, GOD LOVED US ENOUGH TO GIVE HIS SON FOR US,
and GOD WILL HAVE THE LAST WORD IN JUDGMENT.
NOTES: 1. Donald Grey Barnhouse. Illustrating Great Themes of Scripture.
pp. 39-40.
2. Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories,
Illustrations & Quotes. P. 355.
3. Raymond McHenry. In Other Words. Volume 11. Issue 1.
Spring 2001. PP. 6-7.
4. Barnhouse. PP. 33.
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