Text: "Oh Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our hearts from Thy fear?" - (Isaiah 63:17)

It is an undeniable fact churches have become doctrinal voids. The sermons that ought to reprove, rebuke and exhort are composed of the drivel of psychology. Churches have become theatres and worship has been replaced with entertainment. The sons of God have become so homogenized with the children of this world that one can scarcely discern between the two. "Oh Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our hearts from Thy fear?"

Our nation, like all other western nations, has forsaken the God of our fathers. We have forgotten the Rock from which we were hewn. We have lost our moral integrity in politics, in education, in entertainment, in economics, and in virtually every area of life. "Oh Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our hearts from Thy fear?"

People are almost unanimous in their unconcern for their soul. Very few people have any desire to keep the Gospel alive for the next generation. We preach and pray that they will turn from their sins, yet, after weeks have turned into months, and months into years, they remain as unconcerned as ever. "Oh, Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our hearts from Thy fear?"

Note first the prophet’s confession, H e prays, "Oh Lord." Jehovah is not only the God of other people, but the prophet here expresses deep, experiential, and personal knowledge of Him. He is the prophet’s Lord, and it is owing to his relationship with Him that the prophet prays so humbly.

question: "Why?" "Why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our hearts from Thy fear?" In making his query, the prophet affirms an awesome truth: it is the Lord Himself Who has caused the people to err from His ways. It is He who has hardened their hearts.

Some would like the verse to read as though the prophet asks the Lord why He made them since He knew they would err from His ways. Note, however, the language is precise: it is the Lord who has made them to err. The Hebrew word "kashach" signifies the Lord has caused them to depart, and to remove place themselves at a distance.

It is a doctrine little known in our day that God judges men by delivering them up to sin. Nevertheless, in II Thessalonians 2:11, Paul says it is God who sends men strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

In Romans 1:28, the Lord Is said to deliver up people to a reprobate mind who do not like to retain God in their knowledge. This act of God causes them to be filled with all unrighteousness; filled as a cup is filled --filled with fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness until they become full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, and malignity until they become whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to

parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable and unmerciful. Although such people know the judgment of God, and that all who do such things are worthy of death, they nevertheless continue to do them and to have pleasure in them that do them.

In Romans 9:18, the Apostle declares it is God’s sight to have mercy upon whom He will have mercy, and that whom He will He hardens. This is the work of God, and it was this truth that humbled Moses and caused him to confess that if is God who turns a man to destruction, and then calls him to return. (Ps. 90:3)

The prayer in our text is not the prayer of an Antinomian. The prophet is not attempting to justify Israel or himself by blaming God for their sin --What a horrid thought! --but he is humbled by the knowledge that God causes men to err from His ways and hardens their heart in sin. So it is the prophet humbly prays.

Sin is itself a judgment of God. The man who lies, steals, commits adultery, etc. is already suffering the judgment of God. His punishment is not only future, but the wrath of God already abides upon him. (Jn. 3:36) Does the reader yet doubt this truth? In II Samuel 24, the Holy Spirit tells us "The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go number Israel and Judah.’ (Vs. 1) ...And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done; and now I beseech Thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant for I have done foolishly.’" (10)

Doctrine is to be understood in the light of the nature of God. For instance, as God was, so He is and so He ever shall be. So it is that we are saved, we are being saved, and we shall yet be saved. This is true as well of sin: the act of sinning is a judgment God brings upon men and nations, and yet the act of sinning will be judged. "Oh Lord, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways and hardened or hearts from Thy fear?"

The Reason We Pray.

In Deuteronomy 29, Moses declares to Israel, "Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day." (Vs. 2_4)

If the Lord does not give us to see, to hear, to understand, we will never be able to see, to hear, or to understand. This is the work of God, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the reason we pray. It is God who makes us willing to will and to do of His good pleasure. (Phillip. 2:13)

This is the reason Jeremiah prayed, "Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned. (Lam. 5:21) And again he prayed, "Turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the Lord my God." (Jer. 33:18)

BEWARE! What a horrible thing to be so judged by God that He causes us to err from His ways! What a judgment it is if the Almighty hardens our hearts until we are no longer concerned about Gospel work, or about our own soul! The only remedy, if God allows us a remedy, is for us to prostrate ourselves before the Lord, and to humble our proud spirits, and, like the prophet, cry out to Him in our distress. "Who can tell," said a king of old, "if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger that we perish not?" (Jon. 3:9)

Text: "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." -(I Cor. 14:15)

Worship is designed for man. Its purpose is that the people of God may learn and be comforted. (Vs. 31) For this reason, it is necessary that worship be intelligible; and if it must be understood, then worship must be done decently and in order. As the apostle Paul stated, "I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

The reason for intelligible worship is not limited to man’s need: the honor of God is at stake, and if worship is disorderly and unruly, where confusion reigns, do we not present God as the Author of Confusion? God is not a God of disruption and disarray; He is the God of peace. For this reason the Holy Spirit has laid down guidelines by which worship is to be governed.

In I Corinthians 14:26-33, the Holy Spirit teaches that they who are spiritual will not abandon control of themselves, but will observe good decorum.

First, If there are those who would speak in the church, "let It be by two, or at the most three." All others should restrain themselves.

Second, These who are to speak are not to speak all at once. Without a doubt God is able to sort out their words, but worship, including prayer and praise is not designed for God, but for men. Therefore worship is to be intelligible.

This writer has been in churches where it is customary for all men to pray audibly at the same time. Now, it would be the height of spiritual immaturity to make this a test of fellowship; however, when the Scriptures declare the early church prayed "With one accord" (Acts 1:14), it does not mean they prayed audibly simultaneously.

Third, The early Church was cautioned there would be pretenders who would creep into their midst. Therefore, they must not become incontinent by losing control of themselves. They must exercise discernment.

It is not enough for a man to say, "The Lord told me to say (or, to do) this." Such can be used to excuse all manner of enormity. All things, including preaching, are to be done decently and in order. Preaching itself is to be regulated by self-control, and must not be allowed to venture beyond the guidelines given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Preachers must not abandon control of themselves lest they fall under the influence of an evil spirit and declare that to be truth which in reality is error.

Fourth, If one has a message to give, yet another is still speaking, he is to hold his peace, and allow the first to finish. If the first is delivering a message given by the Spirit of God, why should he not be allowed to complete it? Would the Holy Spirit move one to speak, and then interrupt him before he has delivered what He has moved him to say?

The Scriptures clearly enunciate the fact that the people of God are to maintain self-control. For instance, it was characteristic of heathen prophets that they were ecstatic and uncontrollable often behaving as if they had gone mad. The prophets of Baal even cut themselves until their bodies were covered with their own blood. The Roman oracles and the Greek pythia would speak in a trance-like state, or would cast their voices to appear to speak through an idol.

On the other hand, the prophets of God spoke without surrendering control to drugs, to deception, or to a demon. They retained possession of their reason and of their judgment. See Elijah’s calm and sober observance of natural order as he summoned the people on Mt. Carmel to come near. Read the reasonable prayer of the men of God in the midst of heathen Incantations. (I Kings 18:36,37)

Consider as well the writers of Scripture who, although inspired by the Holy Spirit, yet retained control of their vocabularies, their literary style, and their reason. Still it is God Himself who is the Author of Scripture.

The Apostle Paul argues with the Corinthian Church that other churches maintained decency and order in worship. It is the crux of his argument that if one church is more spiritual than another it ought to be more orderly, and not less.

I have been in some congregations where it was reckoned to be a shameful thing to attest to truth with a calculated and discerning "Amen." It would seem a firm conviction so evidenced would be far more preferable than for truth to be received with a spirit of nonchalance. However, I have been in other churches where the atmosphere was so charged with excited outcries that the message the Holy Spirit would deliver was hardly discernable. Of old the Lord exhorted, "Be still and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)

I have occasionally been in a church where some poor saint would shout as he ran across the platform, or up and down the aisle. It is the admonition of the Holy Spirit that everything ought to be done decently and in order. (Vs. 40) Worship is designed for man’s exhortation and comfort.

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THANK YOU --In September, Mr. and Mrs. David Phillips of East Bend, No. Carolina came to our aid. After facing a shutdown on our computer and several trips to the repair shop for our typewriter, the Phillips made the trip to Augusta to bring a Hewlett-Packard hard drive computer and an Exxon computer- typewriter which they purchased for us. Thank you.

Then, Mr. Fred Fries of Augusta knew his friend Mr. Cleon Mauldin had an Epson QX-10 computer. When he told him of our need, Mr. Mauldin graciously gave it to us. Thank you very much.

After consulting with Pastor Wade Trimmer (Grace Baptist Fellowship, Augusta) and Dr. William Owens (Pastor of Crawford Avenue Baptist Church, Augusta), we are attempting to sell all but the typewriter in order to update our system.

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LETTER-- Dr. W. A. Criswell, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas and past President of the Southern Baptist Convention writes,

"Dear wonderful teacher and preacher, This volume, GOD HATH SPOKEN is truly and verily one of the finest defenses of the inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy of Holy Scriptures that I could ever read. It not only comes from the heart of a devout believer, but it also is the fruit of (your) many years teaching ministry to National Baptist Pastors.

"The words are not only confirmational to us who have been preaching the infallible lord of God, but they are also invitational to all believers everywhere, whether in the pulpit or out, to view the Holy Scriptures as what they are; namely, the revelation of the Triune God from heaven.

"May the Lord bless the eyes that look upon the pages and bless the hearts that respond to them.

"Faithfully and devotedly, your fellow-pilgrim."

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REFORMATION AND REVIVAL JOURNAL -- Dr. John Armstrong, senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Wheaton, Illinois announces a quarterly journal that has begun publication with the theme, "Reformation: What and Why." The spring quarter 1992 will carry the theme, "Prayer."

The Journal is committed to the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God and shares the conviction that a new awakening in needed that is in the character of the revival that swept this country under the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Timothy Dwight.

The cost is $16 for a one-year subscription. Write Reformation and Revival Ministries, Box 88216, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.