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Jesus Knows

Isaiah 66:18,” For I know their works and ctheir thoughts: It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; And dthey shall come, and see my glory.” [1]

I.   Conceive

     A. Works

     B. Thoughts

II. Collect

     A. Nations

     B. Tongues

III. Come

     A. Arrive

     B. See

Introduction:  Hundreds of years before Jesus came down to earth prophets such as Isaiah were predicting Jesus’ coming.  They prophesied not only that Jesus would come but they also told what Jesus would do when He got here.

The first time that Jesus came as a baby and that was predicted.  Some prophecies seem to be talking about a different Messiah.  When Jesus returns He will not come as a helpless child.  This time Jesus will be the conquering hero that He already is.

It is troubling that people are not convinced about the fact that Jesus was, is, and always will be.  Yet without the wisdom imparted from the Holy Spirit it is actually impossible to understand.  He came and that He is coming again.  The prophecies tell of both comings.

This particular prophecy that we will consider today seems to be about Jesus’ second coming.  Verses fifteen through seventeen are about His indignation against His enemies.  In Isaiah 66:17 it mentions the boldness of those who openly commit abominations.  The people make little attempt to hide what they are doing as if they are behind one single tree.  Little is done to hide anything from God because there is no shame anymore.  For many people there is no God anymore.

In verse eighteen the prophet seems to change subjects as if to say that there will be some who will see The Lord in a different light and that light will be spread to places where it has not been seen before.  There will be two groups of people that seem to have opposing directions.  One group will be about honoring God and the other group will be more about honoring self.

It is not much of a stretch to see that this is possible.  We are living in such a time now.  People are almost daring other people to even speak about the abominations that are happening.  Those who want to follow God’s will are shunned and told to stifle themselves.

Yet there is that other group.  We have been quiet for a long time so that others will see Christians as people who would like to live in peace.  There are some who say they want peace until their peace is threatened and then they lash out as if only their peace matters.

We know what Jesus did.  He spoke up to defend the will of His Father yet He did not lead others in rebellion against the visible leadership of that day.  When our children were being taken away from faith and placed into the hands of angry mobs neither did we.  We do love God and we live in the hope of Jesus’ return.  We long for the day of exoneration.

Today’s text is to affirm that Jesus does know.  He not only knows what we are going through, He knows what we are doing.  He not only knows what we are doing, He knows what we are thinking.  He knows and He is biding His time until it is just the right time.  Why should we think that we should act differently than Jesus?  We must never stop telling the truth or living the truth.  He is sovereign and He will provide a way for us to be where He is.  One day!

Scripture:  The focal scripture today is Isaiah 66:18.  Please stand if you’re able.

Prayer:  Let us pray.  Be seated.

Message:  Because I know their works and their thoughts.  Paraphrased; that is what the first part of verse eighteen says.  There is way more here than could be preached in several sermons.  There is enough here for a book.  In the Bible I used for this message that word know is italicized.  Usually that means there is more to the word than can be translated from Hebrew directly into English.

To know a thing usually requires someone to have taught or told you about the thing.  It doesn’t particularly mean that it is fully realized by the one who was told about it.  It certainly doesn’t give an idea that the one who knows can take ownership as if it was their thought to begin with.

In the case here we know that God is sovereign.  We know that John 14:6 teaches that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light.  All truth then comes from God through Jesus.  A person can tell the truth but it is Jesus who is the truth because Jesus conceives the truth.

The prophet said that The Lord knows their works.  Whose works?  He knows because if anything happens God allows it to happen.  The rich young ruler thought that he had done everything himself.  He didn’t include God when credit was due.  Nobody can do any work unless God is involved.  Be careful what you take credit for. 

At the end of Ecclesiastes Solomon said that we will all give account for our thoughts.  Before we have a thought of our own, God already knows what that thought will be.  We cannot have a thought unless God has preconceived that thought.  So again; be very careful what you take credit for.

The prophet said that it will come.  It had not come yet when Isaiah wrote this.  As we watch and see the world we know that it is still yet to happen but keep the hope alive.  When Jesus comes back these things will definitely come.  Do not worry about what you see or hear or sense in any other way except through faith in God.  Only concern yourself with what you know Jesus said would happen.  Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; sand all these things shall be added unto you.” [2]  Can we truly do that or are we going to continue to let the world make our decisions about what is important.

We are divided now in this world more than I can recollect.  The prophet brought God’s promise that we will be collected from all the division that the nations understand today.  We will have no need for interpreters in that day.  There was no need for interpreters on the day of Pentecost either.  All obstacles that keep us apart will be gone including certain viruses.

Something happened this week that sent shock waves around the world.  The monarch of England died after serving as queen for seventy years.  People from around the world are sending words to glorify her existence.  The two sons of the new king have not been together for quite a while and this thing actually brought them together.  They came to give honor to their grandmother the queen.

There have been other events down through history when certain people have been honored for simply being who they were.  Often they had checkered lives of good and not so good things that might have been remembered.  When Jesus was hanging on the cross people were standing watching.  Some mocked, some understood and believed.

To understand that this particular prophecy from Isaiah is a future prophecy we only need to see and understand that it will be the first time in all of this earth’s history that people will come with the sole purpose of seeing God’s glory.

So then what is it that we are to do in the meantime?  Isaiah 66:19, “And I will set ea sign among them,  And I will send fthose that escape of them unto the nations,  To gTarshish, hPul, and hLud, hthat draw the bow,  To iTubal, and iJavan, to kthe isles afar off,  That have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory;  And lthey shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.” [3]

They will come.  They actually are coming now.  When they arrive they will see what we show them.  They are already coming.  What are they seeing?  A church in the middle of a community that honors God or a church in the middle of a community who is afraid of all that we are hearing.

When Jesus comes will we be ready to tell Him what we have been doing here and now?  If we are ready for Jesus then; What a day that will be!

Prayer:

Invitation:  We are watching and waiting for our homecoming and revival services with anticipation.  There are folks busy keeping the yards manicured and there will be a new fence in the front of our sanctuary soon thereafter.  Repairs are being done that have been needed for a while.  We are living out our faith.

Whatever God allows will be His will and we can rest in the assurance that He knows.  Jesus knows what we are being confronted with and Jesus knows our response to the threats.  What are we going to do? 

He knows what we are doing and thinking.  When His time comes to bring us home to our eternal home He will gather us together and we will see His glory.  Jesus knows you.  Jesus knows more about you than you know about yourself or Him.  Do you know Him?  Let us keep on keeping on getting ready for His return.  Amen!

c See ch. 65:2.
d See Ps. 86:9.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Is 66:18). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
s So 1 Kin. 3:11–14. Ps. 37:25. Mark 10:30. 1 Tim. 4:8.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 6:33). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
e Luke 2:34.
f So ch. 45:20.
g See 1 Kin. 10:22.
h Jer. 46:9. See Ezek. 27:10.
h Jer. 46:9. See Ezek. 27:10.
h Jer. 46:9. See Ezek. 27:10.
i Gen. 10:2. See Ezek. 27:13.
i Gen. 10:2. See Ezek. 27:13.
k See Gen. 10:5. & ch. 51:5.
l So Mal. 1:11.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Is 66:19). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.