When God Is Exalted in Judgment — Carter Conlon

The Corinthian Church and Its Compromise With the World

I'm speaking now today the the tenth message in the series on the Corinthian problem. The Lord's shown me there's going to be 12 messages. There's two more to go after this one this morning. And I'm going to be speaking from Isaiah chapter 5.

And for those who have not been following the Corinthian series. It's really about a church that lived in a very affluent and central society. That never really fully made a break from the selfishness of the world around them.

And a lot of the characteristics of that fallen society were still in the church. And it was opening the doors in their fellowship to things that the Apostle Paul knew were eventually going to take away the testimony and lead them away from Christ.

Paul was a Proficient fighter for truth, and he was passionately in love with the Church of Jesus Christ. He had so many things going he could have easily turned his back and walked away from the Corinthian problem.

Gone to other places other churches that were alive and moving forward with great grace and understanding. And yet the scripture bears witness at three times Paul came to this church. He wrote letters he had a constant burden in his heart that this church survived and We're very wise to take heed to the things that are in this.

Isaiah’s Warning Against Selfishness and Judgment

These texts of scripture we're going to begin in Isaiah chapter 5. Please if you go back in the Old Testament Psalms Proverbs and then song of Solomon Isaiah chapter 5 when God is exalted in judgment.

Now it's not as heavy as it sounds and you will rejoice when we get to the end of this father. I thank you Lord for this word today. I thank you for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I thank you Lord that you are saying something so profound now to us to my heart to this church.

To all who can hear I pray God help us to hear this. Help me to embrace it. Help us to walk in the truth that you're speaking to us. God we give you praise for this. I thank you Lord that I've never had to stand alone ever in the pulpit Lord.

You've always come you've always been with me have always expanded my understanding and you've always given me a very Real largeness of heart. I thank you for this today Lord. I thank you for the courage to speak this and I pray you give us the courage to hear it.

And I ask for the grace to embrace it and to walk in these truths in Jesus mighty name. Isaiah chapter 5 beginning at verse 8 now keep in mind, these are the words of a prophet of God Isaiah and To a people in that generation the people of God they're going into judgment and Isaiah the Lord through Isaiah is telling them why and what the judgment is going to look like.

Isaiah chapter 5 and verse 8 woe to them that join house to house that lay field to field till there be no place. That they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth and basically he starts by saying this in this particular verse woe to them who are completely given to selfishness who all they're thinking about now is themselves and Reaching out and even making allegiances and joining field to field and house to house until nobody but themselves.

Is of any in any place of security in the earth? In mine ears saith the Lord of hosts of a truth many houses shall be desolate that means empty. Even great and fair without inhabitant and if you look in the New Living Translation, it says something to this effect.

Some of the finest houses some of the most wealthy will be left empty very very shortly. There'll be nobody to occupy them. You ate ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath and the seed of an Homer shall yield an ephah on it again, what it means is ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine and Ten measures of seed will yield only one measure of grain.

There'll be no harvest. There'll be a labor but very little coming back. Woe to them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink. They continue until night till Wine and flame them.

In other words, they're led by the intoxicating foolishness of their own human spirit. Woe to them. All they're doing is seeking one new high after another. One new place of self-satisfaction after another.

Verse 12 says in the harp and the vial and the tabret and the pipe and wine are in their feasts. But they regard not the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands now. You have to keep one thing in mind beloved as we read this this is written to the people of God.

This is not written to a heathen nation. I know people outside of the Lord behave like this, but this is written to those who are supposed to know God. They're walking at his covenant promises. Therefore he says in verse 13 My people are gone into captivity because they have no knowledge and their honorable men are famished and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Therefore hell has enlarged herself and opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that Rejoices shall descend into it. Oblivious Isaiah said to where they're headed.

This is Israel Oblivious to the judgment that historically came and we we know it came and Isaiah knew it was coming but the people refused to believe it and the mean man shall be brought down and The mighty man shall be humbled and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

Verse 15. Verse 16 is my text. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. God says basically this if you will not exalt me. I will be exalted.

Anyway, if you will not judge this God said Israel I will judge you and one way or another I will be exalted one way or another people will know that I am a righteous God and a God of truth. There's a season folks where the selfishness of those who are called God's own people.

It's so obscures his glory you see. We are called to be representatives of God in the earth. We are we are called to stand and and the Holy Spirit should be able to point to you and to me In the marketplace and say this is my church and this represents Christ.

If you want to know what Jesus Christ was like, this is my church. Look at my church and there's a glory in this there's supposed to be this inward life of Christ. That's what the word means in the Greek doxa that this inward life of Christ that brings him to reputation.

In other words people look and they're not looking at us. They're looking at something that is supernatural. They're hearing words that don't come from the human mind. There's they're seeing things manifested in people's lives that are that don't come from the natural man.

But there's a point. With the only way that he can be brought to reputation is to bring it into divine judgment. So that others may know that this type of behavior is not a manifestation of who he is.

There's a season folks where selfishness finally reaches its end. Where God says enough I can no longer walk with this. I can no longer allow my name to be proclaimed through the nations and Believed as if I am this type of a person there is no delight in the heart of the Lord and allowing a Syria to swallow up the Northern part of Israel and Babylon to conquer Judah that which is closest to his heart to see Jerusalem Time and again overrun by heathen nations to see the temple where his glory came brought down and destroyed to nothing.

There's there's no delight. No secret delight in the heart of God, but God finally comes to a point where he says I can't walk with this anymore. I can't allow this. This is such a gross Misrepresentation of my name now folks.

You wouldn't you wouldn't allow it either. I know they're probably victims in this sanctuary of identity theft. And what are you doing about it? You're probably taking every legal means possible. You may have tried reasoning you but if reasoning doesn't work You've got to use whatever you can to because you have an identity and nobody else has the right to that identity.

How much more? When we take the identity of God and walk through the nations as it is and we're not representing that identity. Now we we do that in small measure every day but the Holy Spirit will come when we are misrepresenting God and it's called conviction and There's a the genuine Church of Jesus Christ walks in this humility before God and God can speak to my heart and speak to your Heart and say no that was not a proper way to speak or that was rather selfish of you or no.

You shouldn't be thinking that no. You shouldn't be walking in that direction and the true church is always brought back into line. But there is a point where God's people become so religiously stubborn they've so embraced some other image of Christ they're so Exporting it as it is outside of their homes their sanctuaries and even their own countries that the Lord says no.

I've got to bring all of this down. I've got to be I'm not being glorified in this and I've got to be glorified in the way I will be glorified as I will bring it all down. I will expose it to be completely bankrupt of who I am and Paul knew this psalm 46 10 says be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. I will be exalted God says one way or the other I will be exalted now go ahead to 1st Corinthians chapter 11, please if you will in your Bibles and this is where Paul is Pleading with the Corinthians because he knew this truth he knew that these things were unchallenged and unchecked what they would lead to and 1st Corinthians chapter 11 verse 27 He's talking about communion coming together.

And he says wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread verse 27 and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

For he that eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause Paul said many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep. For if we would judge Ourselves we should not be judged.

But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world now. Paul said if we would judge ourselves. We should not be judged if we would allow this book to be a mirror to us as it is and To prove us and to try us and to examine our hearts and to make sure that the pathway we're on is a pathway.

That's truly bringing honor to God is the image of Christ that we're embracing. Is it truly the Jesus of the Bible? The Christianity we are espousing. Is it truly the Word of God? Has it been written by his pen as it come from his mouth if we would judge ourselves.

Testing Teaching by the Scriptures

Now you'd ask me well, how do you do that? Act 17 just don't turn there verses 10 and 11. The scriptures spoke of some persons in a place called Berea and they tell us that they were more noble than other people.

They're described actually in the book of Acts is a more noble people than I think the people of Thessalonian and. Because they received the preaching of Paul and Silas with an open mind. But they searched the scriptures daily to see if the things they were hearing were indeed true.

And folks I'd love it. If you do this, I'd love it. If you'd go home and say listen, I'm pastor Carter's been speaking this series on Corinth. I'd like to know if this is right. I challenge you go home and study it get in your Bible dig it out for yourself.

I'm not asking you to blindly agree anything that comes from this pulpit or any other pulp. But you shouldn't you should be a people who go home. You should be a noble people and but you have to have a heart that says God if this is right.

Then I'm gonna have to walk in this you got to show this to me. I want to see this and if you simply ask the Holy Spirit that the scriptures will open you'll begin to see it yourself. And you'll see your own profession of Christ in the light of the scriptures.

Jesus’ Warning About the Days of Noah and Lot

Now history has proven that there are times and seasons. With when judgment must come now go back please if you will to Luke chapter 17 with me. Jesus himself begins to describe these days. When judgment must come actually he describes what I believe to be our day and if we're not in it.

We're very very very close to being in it right now. Luke chapter 17 verse 26 but as it was in the days of Noah. So shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat they drank they married wives.

They were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Now folks did none of these things are wrong in themselves. It doesn't make you holy if you don't eat matter of fact.

It'll make you dead after a while if you if you choose not to eat. They married wives. They're given in marriage these things are fine all of these things have to happen. But that's not what Jesus is talking about.

He's talking about a season is going to come. It's it's a season of self-preoccupation. Which will so blind the people that they will not be aware of the hour they're living in amazing. Christ will be coming and People will be just out there.

They'll be just carrying on regularly. There'll be there'll be this to be far away from them. The day that is coming and everything that's coming with this day of Christ. If you look in the scriptures you study it carefully the day of the Lord is going to be a difficult day on the whole earth.

Oh folks read it find it for yourself. Check it now. I want you to picture Daniel for example in Daniel chapter 5. This King Belshazzar. It was having a party and they had taken the Vessels that were captured out of the Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem and they're drinking and eating in these vessels.

And they're throwing this religious party with all of these things that were supposed to be holy. And all of a sudden a hand appears in in midair and and write something on a wall. To the point where the scripture says the King.

Literally his joints were loosed. He was so afraid his knees were knocking together and he called all of the magicians and the astrologers and the soothsayers. Which are always part of this religious party and nobody knows what the writing means.

And finally he calls in Daniel a man of God who's not Compromised right from the part of his youth the point of his youth. He's not compromised his walk with God. He's not partaken of the things that have produced this form of spiritual blindness in this particular society and Daniel Tells them God has looked upon this kingdom.

And yes, it was used for a season and for a purpose. But there's a wantonness in it now you're playing with the holy things and that's where the line is crossed folks. That's where the line is always crossed.

God will endure a lot of things that Babylon was an ungodly nation that it had been a nation used to Discipline God's own people and there's always mercy. There's there's more we saw mercy and Nineveh the it was part of the Assyrian capital that actually conquered the northern part of Israel we saw that through Jonah that there's mercy for all but there's a flashpoint with God when when the holy things are played with when there's no reverence anymore for the person of God and Everything that represents godliness and Daniel stood there and he says Belshazzar you should have known these things.

You were schooled in these things he said your father or grandfather as it was came under this great discipline of God and Knew that there was only one God in heaven. He says now you knew this historically you knew that God is holy but yet you chose to play the fool and Drink and party with all of these holy things and because of this party mentality now Let's come into your court.

The hand of God has appeared. The writing is on the wall. God has numbered your kingdom and he's finished it and he's given it to somebody else. Another nation is going to take over the place that you had been destined by God himself to occupy.

Belshazzar and the Writing on the Wall

Now picture this if you will for a moment. Daniel has just told the king Belshazzar. It's over. The writing says it's over. Belshazzar stands. He's so spiritually blind now the people in that room are so spiritually blind.

What do they do? They eat commands he says put a nice put a fine robe on Daniel and put a golden chain around his neck and he Has his herald come out and I'm sure a trumpet is blown and the scroll is unrolled and he says not pronounce you third ruler in the kingdom and Daniel is standing there.

Incredulously, he has just told him it's over. It's over and here they are. Decorating Daniel that would have been a good name. I guess for this message Decorating Daniel. It's over and how foolish you look at that scene and here they are.

Pretending in a sense to really appreciate this man. We really value you Daniel. We really really do love what you have to say as a matter of fact. We're gonna make you third ruler in this kingdom. The kingdom that Daniel had just said is over.

It's finished in that night that very same night Belshazzar was killed. The enemy was already at the gate. They're already pounding through the gates of the city and that while this is happening. This this this whole scenario is going on in the banquet hall this this religious party.

But you see the religious party have become so blind. They couldn't see anymore. They couldn't hear anymore. And we're living in a decker and a day when we're decorating Jesus Christ all over America today.

Oh all of the books about Jesus Christ and and all of the Accolades and all of the God bless America being sung all over the place. When folks and we're here We are decorating the very God whose hand has written things on the wall that we had better stand up and take notice of in our generation.

We'd better listen to it very very quickly because the time is short for many. Peter says in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses 3 and 4 in the last days. There's going to be scoffers arising walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming?

Now these coffers are not outside the church. They're inside the church. Peter is never speaking outside the context of the church. These are scoffers inside the house of God and they're going to be voices that say don't.

Listen to those that are talking of justice and talking of the coming judgment of God. Oh, they've talked about this for thousands of years and everything carries on just as it always has. Now join us find your pleasure and satisfaction in the things that you clearly see all around you look at us.

We're being blessed. Look at us. We're moving forward in Influence and power and anointing and authority. Don't listen to these voices that are telling you that the enemies are at the gate again. In Luke 17 verse 28 Jesus says likewise also as it was in the days of Lot.

They did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they build it. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed in that day He which shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house.

Let him not come down and take it away and He that is in the field. Let him not likewise return back. Remember lots wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

I tell you in that night There shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall be taken and the other left. Two men shall be in the field.

The one shall be taken and the other left and they answered and said where Lord and he said to them. Wheresoever the body is there? There there will the Eagles be gathered together. That's an incredible question.

Jesus is talking about the last days and he says in these days. One will be taken and another will be left and he talks about at home. One in the home will be taken one will be left one in the field will be taken another one will be left and In the journeying one will be taken another will be left and then they asked a question and the question was where Lord?

Where. Now there's different ways to look at this because he was making two statements it's possible that they're asking where will they be taken and it's also possible they're asking where will they be left and The third possibility is they're asking for both.

Where will they be taken to and where will the others be left? Now if the question is where will they be left verse 37? Says wherever the body is there will the Eagles be gathered together and when you look this up in the original text It means wherever the carcasses there will the vultures be gathered.

Those that are left are going to be left in a place of self-indulgence feeding on death. Folks people are going to be caught in our generation unaware. They're in a place of death they're in a place that where they're feeding on death and In many cases even thinking that somehow this is the provision of God not realizing it's taking away their spiritual vision.

If the question is where will they be taken? Remember that Jesus was speaking in the context of Lot and Sodom and in Genesis chapter 19 verses 16 and 17 it shows us Lot his wife and his two daughters were taken by the mercy of God.

They were taken by the hand. They were taken outside of the city and they were given a message escape for your life. Do not look behind you escape to the mountain lest you be consumed. Where will they be taken the mountain is Calvary folks?

Escaping Sodom Through the Mercy of God

I do believe in our generation just as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are some that were left there and they suffered the judgment of God, but the messengers of God there was a message Raised sent into the city and by God's mercy even though Lot was reluctant.

There was something in him. He loved this place and he found it hard to leave it even though the message had come that it was going to be destroyed. But God's mercy took him and his wife and his daughters by the hand and let him out.

Oh folks, if you can hear what the Holy Spirit is saying God in his mercy is taking you by the hand in this hour leading you outside Corinth leading you outside of the value system of a city that is that is going to be nothing more in the Years to come and as history unfolds as it is finished.

It's it's going to be nothing more than the sand upon that. It's built out of and the cement. There's there's nothing lasting there's nothing eternal in any city in the world and God's mercy is Taking the people now by the hand and saying get out of the thinking of this city get out of looking for Satisfaction in the things of this life get out of a theology that's blinding thousands and thousands of people and Sending them into a place that is not going to survive the justice of God in the day of Christ's coming.

Escape to the mountain now. The mountain is Calvary. The mountain is the place where Paul says this is the Christ in first Corinthians chapter 11. He says this is the Christ that was presented to me on the night.

He was betrayed. Took bread and broke it and said take eat. This is my body which is broken for you. And he said he did the same with the blood. Paul's telling the Corinthian church this mountain this place of escape.

This place of authority and power is in a place of being given for others and not taking from others. It's that simple. That's what Paul was trying to get through to the Corinthian church. And he was having such a hard time getting through this door with the simple word that the Christ of the Bible gave himself.

We're called to give ourselves for other people. We're not called to take from others. We're not called to live for ourselves. We're not called to take the holy things and bring them into a banquet hall of self-indulgence.

There's writing against this. God has already written his hand has already put the writing on the wall against this form of religion. We're not called to do this therefore in the grace of God and in the name of Christ.

I feel the Holy Spirit saying get out of this city get out of the thinking of this city. Get out of the self-consumption. Get out of the lust for money get out of the lust for fame. Get out of the me first and everyone else last thinking of a society that has walked away from God.

Get out of all religion that promotes this and Takes this same spirit and brings it in and takes the holy things Into the house of God and makes an ungodly party of it. Get out of these places because the handwriting of God Thousands of years ago was written against it.

Spiritual Gifts Must Build Up the Church

Paul says it's a place that he describes in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 and chapter 14 where spiritual giftings are not used for self-promotion and self-gratification. But rather to build up others remember in the Corinthian church.

They were everybody was like popcorn on the stove everybody's popping up with a word of knowledge and word of prophecy. Everybody's speaking in tongues at the same time. But it was creating this incredible confusion and the root of the confusion was self.

It's every man for himself every woman for herself everybody wanted to be esteemed as spiritual. Nobody much cared about the others and it was evidenced in chapter 11 when they were pushing the poor and the Disadvantaged and those who seemingly had nothing to offer this feast to the sides of the temple.

That's why Paul said this is not the Christ. This is not the Christ. I've received. This is not the Christ that I've preached to you. He was coming against this selfishness that that manifests itself in all types of ungodly behavior that can be disguised as Something spiritual when in fact the self-promotion is at the root of all of it in first Corinthians 13.

He speaks expressly that if we have this love of God within our hearts, we do not promote ourselves. We do not bear grudges against one another. We do not push ourselves first before others, but we bear believe hope and endure for all men.

Oh Folks, I don't know how else to say it. I want to give you an example in Genesis chapters 22 32 and 33 there were two brothers Jacob and Esau now both of these brothers had access at some point To the blessing of God the life of God that is obviously the lineage went through right to Jesus Christ.

Jacob, Esau, and the Meaning of Selflessness

You see Esau after Jacob has Gone into this land and he's spent time There he's cut. He's coming back in by the call of God to the place of blessing and Esau comes galloping out to him. He's got 400 men with him.

Jacob has stolen as it is the blessing of his brother Esau and I can see he saw coming to meet him and Jacob's very afraid of meeting this brother he's afraid of what's going to happen when when I'm walking in the true blessing and What if he sees me as having stolen this blessing from him and I can see he saw coming in.

He's got 400 men, which is kind of an intimidating Welcoming committee for his brother and you can see him coming in at a full gallop and Jacob Tries to appease him. He gives him gifts and what's Esau's testimony?

He says I have enough Amazing. He says I've achieved I've gathered to myself power. He had 400 men influence and I have provision. He's the type of the soup bowl Christian. I call them Remember Esau sold his birthright.

His birthright is that the Christ. The lineage of Christ would flow through him would come through as his veins as it is. That was his his birthright, but he didn't want that birthright. It perhaps it didn't look kind of attractive to him at some point.

Why would I want this look at my father? All he does is wander all over the place and talk about this this God. I can't see and talk about this day of visitation that's going to come and talk about the land of promise and one day we're going to occupy and He began to disdain the scripture bears witness to it this birthright and one day comes in from hunting in the field his Brothers making stew and he says listen, give me a bowl of that and I'm starving.

He said I feel I'm so hungry. I feel I'm gonna die and his brother says well I'll trade you your birthright for the soup and he trades it folks. That's how much he valued it and I'd see a generation that are trading this birthright in Christ for soup.

They've got their face stuck in the soup bowl as long as my belly is full as long as I'm happy as long as I Don't have any personal need or personal want this is the blessing of God. That's all I want.

Let let that let the truth of where this is going to lead. Let this be not part of my life. I'm not interested in this just the way many say don't talk to me about the cross. I don't want to hear about the blood.

Don't talk to me about sacrifice. Don't talk about judgment and don't talk about personal commitment. I want to hear about soup in the house of God. I want to know what's on the menu. I want to know what I can fill my belly with today.

I want to walk out of here and I want to be satisfied and I want to pursue power and influence and achievement and provision. I want men to know me. I want them to follow me. I want to be recognized. That's the soup Bowl Christian and Paul wrote about it in Romans 9 13.

He says as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated. I can't make it any more simple than this folks. There's a great difference between these two brothers when they meet and they're momentarily reconciled in Genesis 33 12.

Esau says to Jacob let us take our journey and let us go and I will go before you see this is Esau. That's what's in his heart. I'll go before you but Jacob says to know you go ahead. I'll only travel as fast as the youngest and weakest among us can go.

Genesis chapter 33 and verse 14 Paul says if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged now. Jacob had been judged. Jacob had judged himself. Before going back into that place of God's blessing.

He had had an encounter with God and in this place where he encountered God He had come to the end of scheming and planning and pushing and promoting himself and all of these things and he said God I want your blessing and the Lord asked him and says tell me your name.

What is your name? And Jacob said his name Jacob, which means supplanter and you know, what's the planter means? Here's what it means. I want to be first. That's what my name means. I want to be first.

Remember he was the secondborn son, but he wanted to be first. I want to be first and that had led him into lying. It had led him into a pathway that honestly I feel God could have said you're so dishonored the blessing that I wanted to Place in your life just simply because it's been in your heart to be first.

But he agreed with God and he said that's my name. You see that's what it means to judge ourselves. Paul says to the Corinthian church look you're pushing the poor to the sides of the temple. You're indulging yourself.

You're using this relationship with God for self indulgence. And he says if we would judge ourselves, we we would not be judged. If you can get to the point Paul saying I'm saying it's in me to be first.

I want to be first. I want to be seen. I want to be known. I want to be loved. I want I want preeminence. I want even in the church. I want people to say master master rabbi rabbi in the marketplace. I want the bet.

I want my seat when I get here every Sunday morning. I want the one that is mine. I want to be the first. I don't want to arrive here and find a visitor in my seat. I want my seat. I want to be first.

That's my name. That's selfishness folks. That's that's the very root of it. It manifests all over the place in the house you go home. I want to be first means I want to be right. I have to be right. My opinion has to be the one that counts in spite of the fact that I might be wrong.

I want to be first. It goes all through every part of our life when that Jacob nature is still in us. But there had to be an awareness come to Jacob that this was wrong because Amos 3 3 says God says I will not walk with A man that doesn't agree with me.

There had to be an awareness that this was wrong. There had to be something in Jacob at that very moment that wanted everything to change. He needed something supernatural to happen to put God first to put others first and God first in his life and Himself last and so how does it happen?