Welcome to The Word for Today.
The Word for Today is a continuous study
of the Bible taught by Pastor Chuck Smith
of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California.
Pastor Chuck is currently teaching from the Old
Testament, and if you're following along in your
Bible, we'll be continuing today in Isaiah chapter
37, beginning with verse 14, as we continue
with a topical message And
now with today's study, here's Pastor Chuck.
It is tragic that we so often think
of prayer as just sort of the last
resort.
You know, do all that you can, and
then when everything else fails, pray.
But that isn't the way it should be.
We should recognize the value of prayer and
pray first.
Oh, what needless pain we bear, all because
we do not carry everything to God in
prayer.
And in verse 14 we read, And Hezekiah
went up into the house of the Lord,
spread this vicious letter out before the Lord,
threatening letter, and Hezekiah, verse 15, prayed unto
the Lord, called upon his friends to pray,
and then he himself there in the house
of the Lord called upon the Lord.
We first of all notice his addressing his
prayer.
It's extremely important, the address that you put
on your prayer.
When you write a letter, it's important that
you get the right address on the letter,
if you want it to get to whoever
you're sending it to.
The address is extremely important.
And thus in prayer, one of the most
important things in prayer is the address of
your prayer.
When you pray, just who are you addressing
your prayer to?
Someone says, Oh, my Lord!
Well, pray tell, who is your Lord?
Jesus said, Why do you call me Lord,
and you don't do the things I command
you?
He tells us that one day people are
going to be knocking on the door saying,
Lord, Lord, open to us.
And He says, Who are you?
I never knew you.
And so when a person calls on their
Lord, whatever it is that is mastering their
life, is the God that they're calling upon.
And unfortunately, like the gods of the nations
that have been destroyed by the Assyrians, they're
not able to help you when you're in
a real crisis.
The Assyrian kings said, Hey, we've destroyed all
the gods of those nations around you.
They trusted in their gods.
They weren't able to help them, and neither
is your God able to help you.
A person says, Oh, my God!
Well, pray tell, who is your God?
The Bible tells us that the heathen have
many different gods.
And if you've been living your whole life
for pleasure, then when you say, My God,
you're talking about Molech, and you're addressing your
prayer to Molech.
But I'll tell you something, Molech can't help
you when you really are down.
If you've been spending so much time in
trying to make a living, trying to get
ahead, you're a workaholic, you spend all your
time, don't have time for the Lord, don't
have time for church and all, because I've
got to, you know, get ahead.
Then when you say, Oh, my God, you're
really addressing Molech, or Mammon, the God of
power and money.
So the address of your prayer important, you
can't just say, Oh, Lord, or Oh, God.
Because that may be the wrong address.
You may be having the wrong God.
You may be serving the wrong Lord.
And so, Hezekiah is careful in his address.
Oh, Yahweh of Host, the God of Israel,
the one that dwells between the cherubims, you
are God, even you alone.
Of all of the kingdoms of the earth,
you are the one who made the heaven
and the earth.
He wants to make sure he gets to
the right party.
He gives a lot of qualifications here.
Yahweh of Host, the God of Israel, the
one that dwells between the cherubims, the only
true God, the one who created the heavens
and the earth.
There are many gods, but there's only one
true God.
Many objects of worship by man, many lords,
but there's only one true Lord, who shall
be King of kings and Lord of lords.
He dwells between the cherubim.
He was the God of Jacob, the God
of Israel.
He is the God who has created the
whole universe.
He alone is truly God.
The others are false.
Hezekiah wanted to make sure that God knew
he was calling on Him.
In the New Testament, Acts chapter four, we
find that the disciples were in trouble.
They had been threatened with imprisonment and severe
punishment if they would speak any more concerning
Jesus Christ.
And so they were beaten and sent away
with these threats, and they came to their
own company, the other disciples, and they shared
the things they had just gone through, and
they said, let's pray.
And the address of their prayer, they must
have been reading Hezekiah's prayer because when they
began their prayer, when they addressed their prayer,
they said, Oh Lord, thou art God.
You created the heaven and the earth and
everything that is in them.
Jesus said, when you address your prayer, address
it to our Father, which art in heaven,
the one with the hallowed name, the address
on the prayer.
It's important.
In fact, I have found that if you
put the right address on the prayer, it's
extremely helpful in building your faith.
Just as you're addressing the prayer, faith grows.
Oh, Yahweh of hosts, and you think of
all of the hosts of heaven that are
at His command, under His control, the awesomeness
of God, the hosts of heaven surrounding Him,
hundred million angels singing His praise, Yahweh of
hosts, God of Israel.
And I think of how God revealed Himself
to Israel and how God blessed Israel and
how God just protected, watched over and kept
them.
And you think, Oh, what a powerful God
who is concerned with His people.
He goes on to say, who dwells between
the cherubim.
And I envision the throne of God as
is described by Isaiah back in chapter six
and in Ezekiel chapters one and 10 and
in Revelation chapter four.
And I envision there the throne of God.
And I think that God ruling over the
universe, that sovereign God who controls and rules
the universe, who alone is God, the one
who has created the heaven and the earth.
When I started out, my problem looked awfully
huge.
By the time I finished my address, my
problem is nothing because I see it in
the light now of the God who rules
the universe, who has created the universe.
It's an amazing thing, the transformation that takes
place in the way I view things when
I view them from my perspective.
And when I view them from God's perspective,
when I see them from my perspective, they're
overwhelming.
There's this old hope.
It's all gone.
There's no sense, you know, trying.
It's all over.
But then I look at them from God's
perspective.
What's that?
Nothing.
The doctor comes out.
He has a very glum look upon his
face.
He shakes his head and he says, I'm
sorry.
We've done all that medical science can possibly
do.
There's no hope.
Oh, no.
Oh, science can't do anything.
Doctors can't do anything.
Oh, everything.
Oh, how horrible.
And yet for God, it's nothing for God
to destroy that cancerous cell in the bone.
What is a cancerous cell against a God
who dwells between the cherubim, who rules over
the universe, who created the whole universe?
Perspective.
How I look at the troubles that I'm
facing.
If I'm looking at from my perspective, they're
overwhelming.
But if I can get the right address
on my prayer and begin to see them
from God's perspective, my problems, my troubles dissolve
until by the time I'm through with my
address.
What was it that I came about?
Was there a problem?
As Asa, the king of Judah said, Lord,
it's nothing for you to help, whether with
those that are strong or those that are
weak.
Help us, oh Lord.
Seeing the power of God, getting the right
address on your prayer, helps you to see
that power.
Now it's prayer.
It's verse 17.
Incline your ear, oh Lord.
Open your eyes, oh Lord, and see.
God, hear what they're saying.
See this letter, this blasphemous letter that they
have written.
Hear all of the words of Sennacherib, by
which he has reproached you, the living God.
Now Hezekiah said, there are some things here
that are true.
There hasn't been a nation that's been able
to stand against him.
He really has destroyed all of their gods,
casting them into the fire.
But they weren't really gods.
They were just the carvings by man, wood
and stone.
But now, Yahweh, save us, that all of
the kingdoms of the earth may know that
only you are Yahweh, even you only.
Lord, save us for your glory, that all
the world may know that you are God,
that you are the only true God.
All these other gods have failed the people.
They were trusting in their gods, but their
gods let them down because they weren't gods.
Now Lord, work in a dynamic, powerful way
that the whole world will know that there
is a living God, a true and living
God, who alone is God.
The real thrust for prayer is to bring
glory to God.
Jesus at the end of his model prayer
said, for thine is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever.
Jesus said, let your light so shine before
men that when they see your good works,
they will glorify your Father.
And to bring glory to God should really
be the thrust behind our prayers.
Jesus said, and whatsoever things ye shall ask
the Father in my name, that will I
do that the Father may be glorified in
the Son.
Lord, for thy glory, do these things.
For thy glory, Lord, that the world may
know that you are the only true God.
Now the result of his prayer, verse 33.
Isaiah sent this message back to Hezekiah the
king.
Thus saith the Lord concerning the king of
Assyria.
He will not come into this city, nor
will he shoot an arrow there, nor will
he come before it with his shields, nor
will he cast a bank against it.
Verse 35, for I will defend this city
to save it for my own sake and
for my servant David's sake.
God's response, don't worry.
The king of Assyria will not shoot an
arrow within the city.
I will defend the city for my sake.
Now that's what his prayer was, Lord, that
the world may know that you alone are
God for your sake, Lord.
And so God responds, I will defend it
for my sake and my servant David's sake.
What happened?
Well, the next verse is just a bit
of history.
Then the angel of the Lord went forth
and he smote in the camp of the
Assyrians 185,000 men, so that when the
rest of them arose early in the morning,
behold, they were surrounded by these dead corpses.
The angel of the Lord went in and
wiped out the Assyrian army, 185,000.
Sennacherib fled with what remaining troops were there
back to Assyria, went into the temple of
his God and was assassinated by his two
friends, or two sons actually.
Trusting in God, God delivered.
Our nation is in trouble, big trouble.
The problems are not over in the Middle
East.
We have more immediate problems and closer problems,
big problems, social problems.
Last year, a record number of homicides in
Orange County and in Los Angeles County.
Problems with drugs, problems with AIDS, herpes, and
other venereal transmitted diseases.
We're in real trouble.
And God said, if there is no rain
and the crops are failing, or if the
nation is at war, or if, and he
gives several scenarios that we can see happening
today.
He said, if my people who are called
by my name will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face, I will hear from
heaven and I will heal their land.
Surely, individually, we have enough trouble to keep
us in church, keep us in the house
of the Lord, trying to keep life balanced
and the right perspective.
Surely, we have enough just of our own
situations to pray about and to call for
our friends to pray for us.
But there's even more.
There are the problems that we are facing
as Californians, as Americans, that should bring all
of us to our knees before Yahweh of
host, the God of Israel, the God who
dwells between the cherubim, the only true God
who created the heavens and the earth, for
he has promised to help us to live
and to do, exceeding abundantly above all that
we could ask or think.
Chuck Smith will return with a few closing
comments, but first I'd like to remind you
that today's message is available in its unedited
form on cassette or CD.
Simply write or call and ask for ordering
details on tape or CD number T-3270.
Again, that's tape or CD number T-3270.
As we come to a close in today's
program, we'd like to recommend a resource just
for women.
Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in
the hustle and bustle of Christmas, buying presents,
decorating, cooking, the list grows longer every day.
Without realizing it, we can easily forget the
true meaning of why we celebrate our Lord's
birth.
For this reason, the word for today presents
A Season of Joy, an audio Bible study
that reflects the true meaning of Christmas.
Hosted by Kay Smith, wife of Pastor Chuck,
Kay reminds us to spend time at the
Lord's feet despite our busy schedules.
Guest speakers also include Elizabeth Elliott, Sheila Walsh,
and Marge Caldwell, exhorting us to remember that
it's through Jesus Christ that our season of
joy can be peaceful and complete.
Also ask about Pastor Chuck Smith's tract entitled,
How Can A Man Be Born Again?
Available in both Spanish and English, this would
make the perfect addition to Christmas cards or
gifts.
To order your copy of A Season of
Joy and How Can A Man Be Born
Again?
Call the word for today at 1-800
-272-WORD or write to us at P
.O. Box 8000, Costa Mesa, California 92628.
And remember the word for today would like
to assist you this Christmas in spreading the
gospel of Jesus to your family, friends, and
coworkers.
Please call our customer service department to help
you in finding that perfect gift that will
reflect the true meaning of Christmas.
And if you call right now and mention
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And for those of you that would like
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Well coming up next time on the word
for today, Pastor Chuck will be continuing his
fascinating study through the book of Isaiah.
That's coming up next time on the word
for today.
And now with a few closing comments here's
Pastor Chuck.
Father we thank you for the privilege of
prayer.
The opportunity of casting all of our cares
upon you knowing that you do care for
us.
And so we come before you today raising
before you our nation, our state, our city,
asking Lord that you would work by turning
the hearts of the people back to that
sense of need, the need of God.
Lord there are a lot of people like
Asaph who have just about been destroyed by
their encounter with the world the past week.
Came into church this morning bloody and bruised.
Father I pray that they will have been
brought into the eternal perspective that they might
see you, the eternal God, the creator and
get life in balance.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Maybe you would like to go back to
the prayer room.
Take your problems, the anxieties that maybe drove
you here today and just lay them at
the feet of Jesus.
The Lord has promised to help if we
would but call upon him.
Call upon me he said in the day
of trouble and I will answer thee and
I will show thee great and mighty things
that you can't even imagine.
Habakkuk called upon the Lord in trouble.
In fact he called sort of a negative
way.
He said Lord don't let me see anything
else.
The whole nation's going down the tubes.
You're not doing anything about it.
I can't take it.
I don't want to see it.
Don't want to know anything more.
Just please Lord.
Lord said I am working and if I
told you what I do was doing your
ears would tingle.
God wants to work.
God will work.
Give him the chance to work in your
life.
Now may the Lord be with you and
watch over you this week and as you
go out again to encounter the world.
May God help you to maintain that eternal
perspective and live for eternity not just for
the moment.
Take into consideration the eternal consequences of your
actions and of your deeds rather than the
momentary advantage.
Live with that constant consciousness of the eternal
value and the eternal effects of the things
that you do.
This program
is sponsored by The Word for Today.
The radio ministry of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa,
California.