Isaiah 66:1-2 — Joshua Daniel

God’s Throne and the Humble Worshiper

Retreat, I was asking the Lord, Lord, I do not know what to say. Give me your word. And in Isaiah 66, and the first two verses, you will see the main part of my text. Thus said the Lord. Isaiah 66, 1 and 2.

The heaven is my throne. And the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? The heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you built for me?

My dear friends, one of my prayers and concerns was that people who come here will not look at the building. I said, Lord, let them see you. No building on earth can contain the glory of God. The heaven of heavens cannot contain you, said King Solomon in his prayer.

How much less this house which I have built. See, the Bible tells us in the next verse, that God's focus is not upon buildings. Second verse, for all those things has my hand made. And all those things have been, said the Lord.

But to this man will I look. Even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. See, look at that. So God is not going to look at the building. But God is going to single out the person who trembles at his word.

Repentance and the Unprofitable Servant

One of the failures that I can see in many people who call themselves converted Christians, they do not obey God's word. And I don't understand by what reckoning you can call them Christians. When God says, because of the hardness of your heart you are doing this, what must you do?

You must repent and reverse direction. When God says, having done everything, say, you are an unprofitable servant. You know, I find that most Christian workers and leaders find it almost impossible to say they are unprofitable in the sight of God.

I am an unprofitable servant. I have come short of the glory of God. Now, if there is anybody here who thinks that you have done all that God wants you to do, I must warn you. Very possibly you are deluding yourself.

You know, God is the searcher of our hearts. Today, we are always talking about sins of commission. Say, I was a drunkard, I was an adulterer. And now I don't do that anymore. Alright, but how many adulterers and drunkards have you brought to the Lord?

The River of Living Water and Spiritual Fruitfulness

Jesus said, he that believeth on me, for out of his belly, out of himself shall flow rivers of living water. When wherever you see the banks and the country beyond the banks of a river, you will find that there are green fields.

Water is drawn from the river. And in fact, many of you will know, of course, that the country of Egypt is called the gift of the Nile. And without the Nile, Egypt would have been in a sad state. But are you a river?

My dear people, we have a very false sense of well-being. And that keeps you from reaching out into perfection. Many years ago, over 40 years ago, when I was a very young fellow, when I first went to Europe and began to preach in Britain and Europe, and then in America, what shocked me most was the complacence, self-complacence of the people.

I could see no revival. I was brought up in revival. And people were just puffed up with what they were doing. I began to tell them very plainly, that what we needed was revival, that it was repentance towards God.

And that repentance towards God will impact society. Then I began to tell them some of the old truths, which they had neglected. There was quite a stirring and quite an awakening in many hearts. Now, you know, the tragedy of all places where there has been revival, is that complacence and feeling of, we have done pretty well, comes into them.

And then revival, of course, is at an end. I don't know if your heart has ceased to receive that quickening, that revival, which comes from the Lord. Listen, there is a deep sensitivity in the Christian heart.

And when that sensitivity ceases, you can know that you are in spiritual coma, nigh unto death. All these years that I have followed Jesus, I have never arrived at the state where I have said, where I could say, wow, I am pretty good.

No, I have only had to say, I am, I am an unprofitable servant. But I don't know about you. I do not know if you are having any dealings at all with God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit gives to us enlightenment in an ascending scale.

Because, He wants us, He is drawing us into perfection. Another of those condemnatory assessments, which were made about me as a young preacher at that time, Oh, he expects perfection. What did Jesus say?

Be therefore perfect. See, especially when you are fixed in any geological location, anywhere in the world. Suppose this were New York. And you had a big gathering and some blessing. Good singing. Oh, people are quite happy and flattered.

Revival Beyond Buildings, Platforms, and Equipment

And when you go into other countries, this kind of self flattery increases. That's how I find it. Oh, we are fine. Oh, we are doing a great work. Oh, people are getting converted. God is working. I say, if God is working, are the same things taking place as we read off in the Bible?

When you walk into a temple without a penny in your pocket, Do you see 5 ,000 people getting converted? Oh my, when I look at this platform and see all this electronic clutter, Do you know what I tell Jesus?

Let not all this clutter drive your spirit away. Some people are very impressed with electronic clutter. They cannot do without it. When I started preaching as a boy, we had no mics before us. And I had no difficulty addressing bigger congregations than this.

It was in my heart. And when I see these squeaky preachers who must carry a mic, They can't operate without a mic. I say, is the gospel really in his heart? Is the gospel really in his heart? See my dear friends, the more equipment you need, I am afraid the lesser your dependence on God.

God says here, I don't look at the equipment, I don't look at the halls. I look at the man who trembles at my word. You know, I always used to see people whose hearts trembled at God's word. And after a single address or two addresses, Oh, we would see people all over the place calling on God, crying to God, repenting.

They didn't see the preacher saying, Oh Lord, bless this man, bless him. Oh, he has given a big offering, so bless him much. No, we saw God touching people so that they became whole. And very often without our interference.

Spiritual Poverty Rather Than Material Wealth

But to whom and through whom does God communicate? To him who is poor. Today, nobody wants to be poor in the world. And all that people are conscious of is money, money, money. And some people are aghast that a crowd like this is sent home without taking an offering.

You mean to say God wants your money? That's not what God is saying here. God is saying, I want a broken spirit. I want a contrite heart. I want that trembling which there should be before my living word.

And if that is not there, You mean to say that God says, Okay, as a substitution and as a necessary substitution, I will accept your 10 ,000 or 20 ,000. No, no, no, no. He will accept no substitution.

See, everybody I see these days are just thinking about money. See, I don't have this. I must buy this. I must get this. But when I go to God, I can only tell God, My faith, my faith is too small. Oh, it is a tragedy that at my age, I should know you so little.

My dear friends, the spirit of God is not meant to flatter you. And all that people want today is flattery. Even when they come to a retreat or a conference, They don't speak to one another about their need, their spiritual need.

What do they speak of? Some old story. This man said like this to this man. Is God there? No, God is not there. God's spirit there? I want to tell you friends, If you notice anybody in this retreat talking like that, Run away from that person.

And let us pray that that person will leave quickly. When you meet with a brother in the Lord, That's a great opportunity to speak about your need and say, Pray for me brother. But we don't see people doing that.

Oh, that is a big cover up. How are you brother? Oh, I'm fine. I'm fine. This is a great phrase. You know, you ask a little boy. You ask a little boy in America. How are you? Fine. And everybody says, I was sitting in a doctor's office.

The nurse came out to call one of the patients. To see the specialist. And the nurse said, how are you? And he said, fine. I said to myself, If this fellow is so fine, Why is he here? I tell you, many Christians are just like that.

How sad. But God says, I look to this man. That seems quite amazing to me. Certainly the Lord, Who commanded us to take the word of God to every creature. Seeing that the job is being so poorly or badly done.

Certainly should be looking for some men and women here. Who will do the job much better than some of us are doing it. Even to this man will I look. Even to him who is poor. Listen friends, Do you feel particularly poor on the eve of this retreat?

Then I can assure you, God's eye is on you. If you don't feel particularly poor, Please pack up and go home. Because you will receive nothing here. Because God is only looking for him who is poor. Then today's world, today's religious world as well, Does not grade spiritual poverty at all.

Oh he is a rich man, he is doing very well. His children are studying well. You know my wife and I, We were talking about a family. My wife said, How is it I never see the girl? And then, Well of course I thought yes, I never seem to see the girl.

Oh she is getting a big degree. And what about the other child? Oh into a business area where there is much money. That is the chosen field of activity. So the question came to me, If the parents are spiritual, Is this all that they imparted to their children?

Is this all that they imparted to their children? Yes of course. If you are a rich man, you will give part of your legacy or part of the legacy of your riches to your child. Please remember friend, Your choices will be reflected in the lives of your children and your grandchildren.

Spiritual Heritage and the Next Generation

I don't know what my grandchildren think of me. Because when they ask my wife, where is granddad? She says, oh he has gone somewhere. I do hope they don't write me off as somebody who does not care for them.

Because I want this at least to impact them. Granddad put the kingdom of God first. Even his affection for his children and grandchildren did not keep him from the work of God. Even his affection for his children and grandchildren did not keep him from the work of God.

My dear friends, Your choices will eventually be effective in forming the choices of your children. So if your children are only choosing worldly things, You can be sure you did not impart any spirituality to them.

Towards the end of my life, I am seeing this great tragedy. Parents that do not impart that sense of spiritual poverty to their children. I look to this man. Alright, there has been a change of government or at least it's coming.

The country seems to have chosen another party. Some people are excited. And you know the Indians have a habit of giving sweets. You know those sweet laddus. And they are already very fat like fatty frogs.

And they are distributing these highly non-vegetarian laddus. Because they are made of what? Pure animal fat. What is that? Ghee sweets. Butter oil. What is butter oil? Animal fat. And then they say they are pure vegetarians.

Listen, all of you pure vegetarians. Your vegetarianism is a joke. You tell the truth that you eat the pure fat from the cow. Vegetarian fat. It comes from the grass which the cow eats. No, no, no, it comes from the cow.

Being Selected by God Rather Than by the World

My dear people. So they have chosen. And I suppose those that are chosen are highly excited. I don't know how much money they spent over the elections. Whatever. They are elected. No, we are talking about selected.

Selected by God. How? Here is a person who is poor in spirit. Here is a person whose heart is contrived. So sensitive to every motion of sin. No accommodation being given to evil. Even to this man will I look.

God looking at a man? Oh, what a marvelous thing. I know that some of you fathers and mothers will jump out of your chairs. If you receive that information from your cell phone or something. Saying your daughter is selected for the Indian administrative service.

My dear friends. Is not God seeing this? That in your reckoning, his things, his kingdom, his choices are second rate in your opinion and in your mind. So, what does God do? He finds another. If you please turn to the portion of scripture, 2nd Chronicles.

God’s Heart Toward a Praying People

7th chapter. The answer of God to Solomon's prayer. What does God say? My eye shall always be upon this place. And my ear will always attend to the prayer that is made in this place. 15th verse. For I have chosen and sanctified this place.

That my name may be there forever. And my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. Look at that. My heart shall be there. God's heart. Upon a people. God's heart. Upon you and me. You want to be such people?

My eyes shall be open. And my ears attend to the prayer that is made in this place. Is your family such a place? You know, in a family today, there are many concerns. One of those concerns is economic well-being.

What are we going to do? What are we going to do about the future? What about insurance? Health insurance, this insurance, that insurance. Oh, we must make sure about tomorrow. But, in many people, I don't see the concern about a spiritual heritage.

David’s Legacy and the Promised Son

Now, God gave a great promise to King David. That there will be no one missing upon his throne. The blessing will continue. And we talk about the Lord Jesus Christ from the earthly lineage as the son of David.

Just to think of that. To be called Jesus, the maker of heaven and earth, to be called the son of David. Was David such a man after God's own heart? Such a humble man or such a repentant man? A man who would not keep sin in his heart?

And if David could have seen with his earthly eyes that the one seated on the right hand of God was going to come into this world and to be called his son. I wonder what David's praises would have been.

When we look at the Psalms and the praises of David, they are so prophetic. But, what do you foresee? In the coming generations. Do you see an enlargement, an enhancement, an increase in God's blessing upon your family?

Do you see an enlargement, an enhancement, an enhancement, an increase in God's blessing upon your family? Suppose, good friends. At the end of my life. All that could be said of me was. That I made great efforts.

Did this, did that, built some halls, this and that. What a miserable record that would be. If I could give you a spiritual heritage. If I could see you raised up as prophets. If I could see your sons and daughters doing greater things than this fellowship has ever seen.

What a heritage that would be for me to leave anybody. But, I see the general run of people's minds. What is it? Oh, I must build a house. Oh, I must buy this. Or, I must buy a car. Or, I must buy some land.

A Broken Spirit as a Lasting Spiritual Heritage

I tell you, I don't believe in lands at all. I don't believe in property at all. I believe in the promises of God. All these earthly things can bring discard and trouble. But, if there is some way by which you and I can communicate a broken spirit.

A humble spirit. You know, the more I see pride, the more hateful it is to me. I don't like the word, I. When people talk to me, they often say, I, I, I, I. I say, stop. Say, we. Because, you are praying together with others.

And without them, you can't do this. Of course. Do you think I can do everything? No, no, not at all. I need my brothers, I need my sisters. I need praying people around me. I feel I can do anything. I feel stumped.

I say, what, I am not able to do much. I wish the quality around me would be higher. Yes, if you were walking with God with a broken spirit. You will be a great blessing to me. But I want to tell you.

I am shocked to find. Unknown to me. Unseen by me. Some things which are of the world are getting into us. Pure worldliness. How sad. My dear friends. Let us go to the Lord. Let us get a broken spirit.

Seeking God’s Selection Through Repentance and Faith

Let us pray. Let us tell God. Oh God. Am I going to be selected at all? I am so disappointed if I am not selected for an engineering course. Or a medical course. Or some course. But dear Lord. Am I disappointed if you won't select me?

You will not select buildings. You will not select a man because he stands on the platform. You will only select a person with a broken spirit. Give to us a broken spirit, oh Lord. Do not take away a broken and a contrite heart from us.

How small is our labor. How poor is my love. Oh my Savior. Why am I so dull in following you? I want my feet as hind's feet upon the mountains. I want the wings of faith like the eagle to rise. Oh Lord.

Closing Prayer for Spiritual Renewal

How long shall we dwell in the shallows? How long shall we dwell in the shallows? Please Lord. This retreat is going to pass very quickly. But come to us. Touch us. With your nail pierced hands. Oh help us to see how poor we are.

Oh gracious Father. Open our eyes. That we might inherit the great things which you have got for us. Hear our prayer. In Jesus almighty name. Amen.