Connection to Isaiah 31 Isaiah 28–35 Portray the Internal Struggle That

Isaiah Sermon Series Supports Session 6: God Protects Sermon Title: “Saviors: True and False” (Isaiah 30)

Connection to Isaiah 31

Isaiah 28–35 portray the internal struggle that takes place in the life of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah has to weigh his options and make up his mind who he is going to trust for deliverance of Judah. His bad advisors urge him to trust Egypt for deliverance against the Assyrians (Isa. 30–31) Chapter 30 sets the stage for Isaiah’s confrontation with the King in chapter 31.

Introduction/Opening

Do you believe that God is big or small”? Do you believe that God is able to deliver and save in spite of how big the threat is or not? Is God a worthy Savior in spite of what we see? If we believe that God is able, we will have no problem trusting Him to save us. If we believe that God is small, we will look to idols to be our refuge. In Isaiah 30, we are forced to deal with issues of the heart. We need to know if we are trusting in false gods and have our hearts exposed of the false saviors we so easily cling to.

Outline

1. The anatomy of false saviors (vv. 1-17) a) The dilemma and the plot i. Assyria is the threat . ii. Judah is threatened. iii. Egypt offers apparent hope. iv. God offers real hope. b) Power is unable to save. c) Money is unable to save. d) Desires are unable to save. i. What did the people want to hear? ii. How is that going to work out for them? iii. What did God want them to do?

2. The activity of the true Savior (vv. 18-33) Three portraits of God are presented. a) God is the true teacher (vv. 19-22). i. God is waiting, but He is not passive. ii. What was God teaching them in their rejection? b) God is the true Healer. c) God is the true Warrior.

Conclusion

When God is understood, Assyria will be understood. Assyria or another crisis is never ultimate; God is. God is a Warrior, and we will either meet Him as a Warrior or a Deliverer. There is nothing that can save us from God if we oppose Him. There is nothing that can conquer us if we trust Him. False saviors offer us no hope, and they also leave us broken. Christ is the true Savior who has laid down His life so that we can share in His conquering. Trust what it true.

Benjie Loyd serves as senior pastor of River Road Baptist Church in Hilliard, Florida. He is married to Dawn, and they have two children, Connor and Carson. Benjie received his D.Min. degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.