Recovery from Judgment

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Introduction: We drift away from the Lord. We turn from Him and His ways in rebellion. This brings on His chastening hand. We feel that there is no way back. But God gives a way. Come home. Come back to your Saviour and God.

1. THE CAUSE

   1. Our Sins (Isaiah 64:5)

   2. Our Uncleanness (Isaiah 65:6) 

   3. Our Iniquities (Isaiah 65:6, 7) 

2. THEIR CONDITION

   1. Experiencing the Wrath of God (Isaiah 64:5, 9; Hebrews 12:5-6)

   2. Faded as a Leaf (Isaiah 64:6)

   3. Taken Away as by the Wind (Isaiah 64:6)

   4. Consumed because of our Iniquities (Isaiah 64:7)

      1. Revival in Houston, Texas – From November 12, 1906 to March 1, 1907, the Baptist evangelist Mordecai Ham held one of his greatest revival campaigns. The services grew so much that they had to move from the Baptist church to a downtown skating rink that seated over 4,000 people. In one of the earlier sermons of this meeting, he stated: “There are a lot of Christian who are half-way fellows. They stand in the door, holding on to the church with one hand while they play with the toys of this world with the other. They are cautious, they want to be there in case of emergency, ready to jump in if Jesus should happen to come, but otherwise are having a good time with the rest of the sinners. That’s the reason why we can’t do any more work than we do. They are in the doorway, and we can’t bring sinners in. And until we get some of God’s people right, we cannot hope to get sinners regenerated. 

         “Now, they always accuse me of carrying around a sledge hammer with which to pound the church members. Yes, Sir, I do pound them, and every time I come down, I knock one of those halfway fellows out of the doorway. And every time I knock one out I get a sinner in.” –from A Biography of M. F. Ham by E. E. Ham (p.86-87).

3. THE CURE
   1. Wait for the Lord (Isaiah 64:4; Psalm 27:13-14; Isaiah 40:28-31)
   2. Rejoice in Righteousness (Isaiah 64:5; Psalm 68:3; Isaiah 61:10)
   3. Work Righteousness (Psalm 15:1-2; Romans 6:13, 16-22)
   4. Remember the Ways of God (Isaiah 64:5)
      1. Ask for the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16)
      2. There is continuance in those (Isaiah 64:5)
   5. Call Upon the Lord (Isaiah 64:7; Psalm 105:1-4)
   6. Stir Up to Take Hold of the Lord (Isaiah 64:7; 2Timothy 1:6)
   7. Behold the Lord as your Father (Isaiah 64:8-9)
      1. We are the clay (Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6)
      2. We are the work of His hand (Isaiah 64:8; Psalm 100:3)
      3. We are His people (Isaiah 64:9; Psalm 79:13)

Conclusion: Published Sermons of Charles Spurgeon – “The influence of Spurgeon’s published sermons at times seems almost unbelievable. On one occasion, Spurgeon counseled with a woman whose husband had left home, and fled the country. The Metropolitan pastor dared her to believe that her husband would be converted, and even become a member of the Tabernacle church. At that very time, on board a ship, her husband stumbled upon one of Spurgeon’s sermons. He read the story of the Gospel and accepted Christ immediately. He returned to home and wife, and a few months later, his wife introduced him to Spurgeon. The couple were happily reunited in Christ and the church.” –from Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers by Lewis Drummond (p.325). See Matthew 17:20.