Was It In Vain For You?

Isaiah 45:18-25  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is 
none else.  (19)  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.  (20) Assemble yourselves and 
come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of 
their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.  (21) Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the 
LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.  (22) Look unto me, 
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.  (23)  I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.  (24)  Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him 
shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.  (25) In the LORD shall all the seed of 
Israel be justified, and shall glory.

THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS:  Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us (that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion) that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

President Abraham Lincoln

VAIN, a.  1.  Empty; worthless; having no substance, [no] value or importance.  2.  Fruitless; ineffectual. 

              Today we are honoring not only those who died in the Civil War, we are honoring all who served for freedom, fought for freedom, and died for freedom in many wars.

              The Revolutionary War;

              The War of 1812;

              The Spanish American War,

              World War 1 and 2,

              Korea,

              Viet-Nam,

              Granada,

              The Gulf War

              Iraq

              And Afganastan

              Each of us has lost loved ones, relatives and friends to war.  This day is a day to stop and remember what they gave us, but, it is also a day for us to look at what we are doing to insure that these men and women did not die in vain.

(Isaiah 45:18)  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

(Philippians 2:16)  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

We see in these two scripture verses one states “…He created it not in vain…”

The other states “…that I may rejoice…that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.”

God tells us first; He created it all and it was not in vain, it all had a purpose,

Then we see Paul telling us he also did nothing in vain.

I.            WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY?                                    (v 18)

A.            To Know That Our Nation

1.               Was not formed in vain

i.                God has never done a vainful thing

              B.           To Know God                                                             (v 19)

                             1.           Not to seek Him in vain

             

              C.           Assemble Ourselves

                             1.           To draw near

Hebrews 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

2.               A sincere heart

3.               Without an evil conscience

4.               clean

5.               And all in “…full assurance of faith…”

II.           LOOK UNTO GOD                                                                 (v 22)

A.              Through Our Salvation    

1.               His Word has gone out before us

B.              Every Knee Shall Bow

1.               Every tongue shall (swear) confess

Romans 14:11-12  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  (12)  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2.               We shall ALL give an account of himself

              i.            To God

  

III.         WE HAVE ANOTHER SACRIFICE TO HONOUR

A.           Another Man Stepped Up To The Duty Plate.

                             1.           This man Jesus.

(John 19:11-12)  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.  ¹² And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

                             2.           Pilate didn’t send Him

3.               The Jews captured Him

4.               God crucified Him

B.           Jesus Had A Choice.

(Matthew 4:5-6)  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,  ⁶ And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

                       

C.           You Have A Choice.

(Matthew 7:13-14)  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

                             1.           Enter the strait gate

                                           a.           Narrow is the way

                                           b.           It leads to life

                                           c.            Few will find it

CONCLUSION:               The final question is the title of this message concerning your walk with God “Has It All In Vain For You?”          

              Has it been in vain for our soldiers?  We find it easy to defend our country, yet, we hear so many tearing down what God has set up. 

              This week is a week of remembering and honouring our fallen.  This should also include our Peace Officers, our Firemen and all that have given of themselves to protect us by our constitution, protect us from physical harm, and those who protect our homes and our lives.

              All of this is important, yet we are still talking concerning our physicalness.  One gave His life for my spirit, to give me an eternal life in the presence of God.  He made His choice for the possibility that we might, can I reiterate “that we might” accept Him as our Saviour.  Nothing says because we would, just that we might make Him our choice.

              Have you made that choice?  Have you called upon Jesus the Christ as your Saviour?

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, all that you work for, all that you do will all be in vain.

              Your honoring the fallen will be all in vain.

God tells us in Isaiah it was not in vain when He created the world.

              He knew about the coming of Jesus, He knew what was to take place.

              We each are to choose; we can choose the narrow way Jesus Christ or choose the broadway, the way of the devil.

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  (14)  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

              A.           Make The Choice Today.

(Romans 3:23)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

1.               You know you are a sinner

2.               You know you have fallen short

(Romans 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

                             3.           Not the first death, the second death

                                           a.           That “Lake of Fire.”

                             4.           Understand, it is a gift of God

                                           a.           Jesus the Christ

(Romans 5:8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

                             5.           He loved us, before we knew Him

                             6.           He died, knowing I was a sinner

(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.

                             7.           The key; “…believeth…”

(Romans 10:9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

                             8.           The key; “…believe…”

(Romans 10:13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(Joel 2:32)  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:…

Don’t let your life have been in vain, accept Jesus today.