(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.) So you're there in Isaiah chapter 52, and we are continuing our study through the book of Isaiah, obviously, and we are going to be getting into some interesting stuff here. And this chapter really is leading into Isaiah 53. So Isaiah 53 is that famous passage on the Lord Jesus and how he's going to suffer for us and die for us. But really this chapter is leading into that that that passage and you'll see that at the end here. But let's start at the very beginning here. Notice what what it says in verse 1. It says, Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For henceforth there shall no more come unto thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. And so the first thing that we see here, and we saw this in the last chapter where God's basically calling out to awake or to arise and stuff like that. So it's kind of the same theme. So we're in chapter 51. We're really rolling into chapter 52 and 53. So there's not really a break in you know, what's being said, if you will. But the thing that I see here is where it says to put on thy beautiful garments. And then also it's talking about that holy city. So it's talking about Jerusalem, that holy city, and it says there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. And this really shows you the finale really of God's people. Go to Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah chapter 3, because when it's talking about putting on the beautiful, by beautiful garments, there are garments that the Bible talks about that us as the saved are gonna put on. Okay, and in Zechariah chapter 3, you're dealing with Joshua, who was an actual person, you know, that was a high priest after the captivity. And in Zechariah, he's talking about Joshua. And notice what it says in verse 3. So Zechariah chapter 3 and verse 3, it says now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel and he answered and spake unto those that stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said, behold, I have is it unto him he said, behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee. So you can very clearly see that the filthy garments are talking about the iniquity, right? Some say with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Okay, and it says that, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head and clothed him with garments and the angel of the Lord stood by. And so this is obviously a picture of showing you that we have the flesh, you know, which is the filthy garments, and then we're gonna be clothed on with this new garment, okay? Now, I believe, you know, you can get into the resurrection, obviously, and the fact that we're gonna put off the flesh, and it says that, go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and there's many places you can go to for this, but at the same time, you know, this is as good as any, but in Philippians, Philippians chapter 2 talks about that he shall change our vile body to be fashioned like unto his glorious body. You know, the idea of our flesh being vile, filthy, you know, obviously it's sinful, you know, we have sin in our flesh, but we're going to have new garments. We have a new body, okay? And that's what it says here in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1, it says, For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. So we're not talking about physical house here, we're talking about actually clothing, and you'll see talking about the body. Notice what it says in verse 2, For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed, we shall not be be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. And this is talking about the resurrection, okay? And even Peter talks about that I must put off this my tabernacle, and he's talking about after my decease. And so he's talking about the flesh, he's talking about the body, okay? Now, I do believe there's a physical garment too, okay? You know, you obviously have the aspect of it's talking about the flesh, dropping off the flesh, and putting on, you know, the new body, if you will, the spiritual body, but go to Revelation chapter 19, because you really do see this finale, finality of the Christian and the fact that we have these beautiful garments on, and we're going to be in the city where it's talking about there's no one that's uncircumcised or unclean is going to be coming into, okay? And in Revelation chapter 19, notice what it says in verse 6. It says, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. So it's talking about this fine linen that's clean and white that we'll be wearing, and it represents righteousness. Okay, and so there is this new garment, if you will, and obviously you have the filthy garment that's done away with. And then go to Revelation chapter 21 because what you have to understand is when you're dealing with the bride, okay, the bride of Christ, if you will, the marriage supper of the Lamb, is that it's talking about the saint, okay? But it's also talking about the city. But see, a city, if you were to talk about a certain city, let's say you're talking about New York City, you could be talking about the physical city as far as the buildings, the roads, the monuments, all that stuff, right? And you can be talking about that physical city, be like, hey, New York City. But you could be talking about, hey, New York City's wicked as hell, right? Now you're not necessarily talking about the buildings, right? The buildings aren't inherently wicked. The streets aren't inherently wicked, right? But you're talking about the people. You're talking about what goes on there. What are they doing, right? And so when you see this as far as you're talking about the bride, you'll see in Revelation 19, who's the bride? It's talking about the people. It's talking about those that are arrayed in this fine linen that are coming down on white horses with the Lord Jesus in this battle, okay? Revelation 19, though you see, actually, I'm sorry, Revelation 21, we actually see that this city is called the bride, okay? So, you know, in the beginning of the, or in the middle of the chapter there, it talks about, you know, John is going to be shown the bride, you know, coming down from heaven. And it's talking about this holy city, and it talks about the foundations, and how it's arrayed, and all this, okay? That there's 12 gates. Each gate is made of one pearl, and the streets are made of gold, and it's like transparent glass. So it's obviously very beautiful. Okay, so you can see how the city itself is arrayed or clothed in beauty, but the people themselves are arrayed in that as well. But the thing that I want you to see, just for sake of time, because we're not doing a whole study on the New Jerusalem, but notice what it says in verse 24. So in Revelation 21, look at verse 24. It says, in the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. So who's going to be walking in this New Jerusalem? Those that are saved. And it says, And the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it, and the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and there shall and no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Okay, so when you're dealing with the finale of the new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem, only saved people and all those that have been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb will be walking in that. And you say, well, it says uncircumcised and unclean. Well, you'd be like, well, unclean, obviously you've been made clean. But uncircumcision is talking about being uncircumcised in the heart. Okay, and this is not just a New Testament thing because I'll go to Romans 2 later on for another reason to go to that, but even in the Old Testament it talks about them being uncircumcised in heart. So when we're talking about that those shall not enter into that city that are uncircumcised and unclean, you're talking about unsaved people. You're talking about people that have not believed on the Lord, that have not believed Christ, and so they're not saved. Okay, but those that are in the Lamb's book of life, because those that are in the Lamb's book of life have been made righteous by the blood of Christ. Okay, so we have the righteousness, we have the new garments, and we're able to walk into that city. We're able to dwell in that city. Okay, so that's all in one verse right there. But go to verse 2. So Isaiah 52 and verse 2. And you can obviously see how, you know, when you're going through Isaiah there's a lot of stuff that's talking about New Testament stuff or stuff that's in the future or and stuff like that. So that's kind of like a finale and we haven't got to Isaiah 53 yet. Or even at the end of this chapter that's leading into Isaiah 53. And so when you're going to Isaiah, you're gonna see things that are gonna not be in order, right? It's not like from Isaiah 1 to 66. It's just like straight up and chronological order about how events are gonna happen, right? You keep seeing stuff being repeated, said over again, or even saying stuff in a different chronological order and so you know, that's just the way that the Old Testament works in a lot of cases. But in verse 2 there, it says, So you can definitely see how that would apply, meaning that we're taking off the yoke. You know, we're sitting down and it talks about how we're gonna sit on thrones and judge and stuff like that, right? And so you can definitely see how that would apply. Verse 3 there, it says, So this is a very interesting verse because in verse 3 there, it said, you know, the Lord's saying, Okay, well go to Romans chapter 7. Romans chapter 7 and there's a verse, you know, when I see this, you've sold yourselves. This verse immediately popped in my head. It's in Romans 7 verse 14. Romans 7 and verse 14. Notice what it says. We've been sold in the bondage by sin. And it's interesting, it says for naught. And what that means is that it was basically like for no reason. Like it didn't profit you at all. You know, what did sin really do to sell you into the wages of sin, right? And the fact that you had this debt of sin and what did that really bring you, okay? And the idea that sin will always cost you more than you want to pay. It'll always take you further than you want to go. And go to Hebrews chapter 11 because it talks about going into Egypt, right? They want to sojourn into Egypt. And like I said, when I was preaching on baptism, right, on the water baptism, I was talking about how in the Old Testament, you see this picture, this progression of they're in Egypt and it calls Egypt like the iron furnace. And obviously, what were they in when they were in Egypt? Were they free or were they in bondage? Okay, they were in bondage and it talks about how we're servants to sin, you know, in the flesh, all this stuff, right? And they're servants, they're in bondage. What happens when the lamb is slain, the blood's put on the doorpost, on the lentils, right? They're freed and they literally that day go out, right? So that night, they're going into the 15th day and the day they go out of Egypt, free. Okay, by the blood of Christ, I mean the lamb, which is the same, right? You know, obviously, it's picturing that. Now, what happens after that? They go and walk through the Red Sea and it says they're baptized under the cloud and through the sea. Then they go into the wilderness, which is like the Christian walk where you're in this wilderness trying to get to, you know, you're focusing on the Promised Land, but you're in the world, okay? Wilderness would represent the world and ultimately, when you die, the Promised Land, okay? Because those that believe will enter into the Promised Land, okay? So you can definitely see that progression of things, of how that works. But in Hebrew chapter 11, verse 24, notice what it says about Moses dealing with sin, okay? Because where was Moses? He was in Egypt. And it's interesting because it brings up Egypt and how they sojourned there and they sold themselves for naught, okay? And how that would equate to selling yourself, you know, into sin, you know, like sin has sold you for naught. You know, you didn't gain anything. It wasn't worth it, okay? Notice what it says in verse 24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. And noting this is that, you know, the pleasures of sin that are only for a season, right? He noticed that, hey, you know, this eternal reward, that's forever. And I'm not saying that it's not talking about him getting saved here. It's just talking about the fact, as a Christian, he made a choice that he'd rather suffer for Christ and reap the eternal rewards than to enjoy pleasures of sin for a season in this life, okay? And just that idea of that bondage of sin, right? It's pleasurable for a season, but what does it really give you in the end? Nothing. Nothing but just corruption, pain, anguish. You know, in the end, it's just as much as that Krispy Kreme doesn't profit you anything. It's just pleasurable for a season, but in the end, it's for naught, right? The Risi cup, all that stuff, okay? And I'm not here to preach, you know, like, you're wicked for eating the Risi, okay? If that's the case, then I have lost my qualifications, because Risi's are awesome. And we have a whole thing of them that we're giving out to people that memorize scripture. It's obviously in moderation, you know, it's okay to have some candy. But what I'm saying is that you can kind of liken it unto that and the fact that it doesn't help you, right? Eating a Risi doesn't help you, okay? It's just pleasure. It's just pleasurable to eat a Risi. And the same thing with sin. It's just pleasurable for a season, but in the end, it's for naught. And it also says in Isaiah 52 that he's going to redeem us without money, okay? Okay, notice that it says that right after that. I just want to make sure I'm reading that right. And yeah, it says, and ye shall be redeemed without money. Go to 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1. So it's basically stating that you've sinned, you know, for all sin it comes to the glory of God. But it's basically stating that that sin was for naught, you know? It didn't profit you. It was for no reason, you know? Like really, when you think about it, what did it get you? Just pleasure for a season. That's all it did. But you're not going to be redeemed by your own hand. Because if you think about it, if you're in bondage, right? You sold yourself in the bondage. Well, if you have indentured servitude, for example. Let's say you accrue to death, you know, and that's what sin, for the wages of sin, is death. And it talks about how, and if by grace, you know, it's talking about the fact that if Abraham were justified by works, it's not grace, it's debt, you know? You're reckoning it as debt. And the idea is that he's stating that you're not going to get out of this bondage. You're not going to get out of being sold by your own means. Like you're not going to buy your way out, okay? And it says it's going to be without money, you're going to be redeemed, okay? And notice what it says in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 17. 1 Peter 1 verse 17, it says, And if ye call on the Father, who without respect a person's judges according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, what is that, money? from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifesting these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. So, very clearly, what he's talking about, you sold yourself for naught. Why? Because sin is pleasurable for a season, and that's it. That's all it did for you. But in the end, you sold yourself in the bondage, you sold yourself into debt. But, he's saying, you're not going to be redeemed by money. Why? Because for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works with any man should boast. And if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. Because if it's by works, then it's a reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. It's not by our works, it's not by our righteousness, it's by the blood of Christ. That's how we're redeemed, and it's without money. It's a priceless gift, but it's free. It's a free gift of salvation, the Bible says. So, it's great to just see this in the Old Testament here. Do you see that? You get beautiful garments. You're going to be in this city where there's only going to be saved people. It's not going to be, you know, unclean. It's going to be all clean, because we've all been made clean. And then you get into the fact that we've sold ourselves for naught. Right? But we're going to be redeemed without money. Now, go back to Isaiah 52, and look at verse 5 here. Isaiah 52 and verse 5. Notice what it says. It says, Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for naught, that they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord, and my name continually every day is blasphemed. You know what's interesting about this verse? It's talking about how the Assyrian afflicted them for naught, right? It talks about, it says, And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. I'm sorry, that's how it says it. Without cause. And basically, you know, then it gets into this verse. It says, Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord? It says, They, I'm like losing my place, They that rule over them make them to howl. Okay? And it says, And my name continually every day is blasphemed. This is actually brought up in Romans chapter 2. Okay? And it's actually talking about the Jews. Okay? Now, if you think about this, It says, They that rule over them, in Jesus' day, who was ruling over the people, right? You had the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the scribes. And did they not blaspheme God continually every day? Right? Now, go to Romans chapter 2. Romans chapter 2, I want to show you this, because I believe this is where it's pulling it from when it says, it's talking about they blaspheme the name of God. Okay? Because in Isaiah 52, 5, it says, My name continually every day is blasphemed. Now, I first want to show you context that we're talking about someone that's called a Jew. Okay? Now, it says this, it's not saying this because it's like, well, it's not really a Jew, you know, they're just saying they're a Jew as far as like, they're not really from Judea, they're not really of that religion. No, it's stating that because it's going to later on state that he is not a Jew, which is one hourly. Okay? But what they're talking about is someone that's basically a religious Jew, if you will, in that day. And it says right here in verse 17, Behold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou, thyself, art a guide of the blind, and a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of fools, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law. Now, who are you dealing with here? Are you just dealing with any Jew, or are you dealing with someone that's saying they're a teacher? And what did it say in Isaiah 52? They that rule over them make them to howl, said the Lord, and my name continually every day is blaspheme. So keep that in mind. You're dealing with a Jew that says, you know, they're trusting in the law, that they're a guide, they're a teacher, they're an instructor. Now Paul's going to rip his face off and say this in verse 21. It says, thou therefore which teaches another, teaches thou not thyself. Thou that preaches the man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest the man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law, dishonorous thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. So who is he talking to? He's talking to the leaders of the Jews. And he's saying, you are the one that is blaspheming God. And it's basically stating that among the Gentiles you're blaspheming God. And it says in Isaiah 52, my name continually every day is blasphemed. And so you can see this prophetic view of the leadership of Israel in Jesus' day. And we're going to be leading into, obviously, that Jesus is going to be rejected and obviously blasphemed. Would anybody doubt that Jesus was blasphemed by the leadership of Judea? And by the Jews in general. And not just the leaders, not just the rulers, but it talks about all of them rejecting Christ. You know, as a whole, he came unto his own and his own received him not. And it talks about, you know, that you rejected him and you killed him as did your rulers. Okay. So, but keep reading there because it talks about you're called a Jew. And why does he say that? Verse 25. For the circumcision verily profited, if thou keep the law. But if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. And it says, Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge thee who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? Now, he's kind of making this comparison of saying, yeah, if someone that's uncircumcised keeps the whole law, aren't they righteous? Wouldn't they judge you? And he's saying, obviously, you as a circumcised, you're not keeping the whole law. Here's the thing, no one can, whether you're uncircumcised or circumcised. He's just making a point, you know, that you're going to judge this uncircumcised person that doesn't keep the law and you don't keep the law. That's basically what he's stating. But it says, For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart and in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Because if Abraham were to glory, you know, according to his works, he has to be aware of the glory but not before God. For what sets the script for Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness? So, you see how this works full circle because it's talking about no uncircumcised person is going to go in and talking about how the Jews were going to blaspheme his name among the Gentiles. And that's where I believe this is pulling it from. Because you notice it says, as it is written, I believe he's pulling it from here. And it makes sense because it's giving you context as far as what's being said. Now, go back to Isaiah chapter 52 and we're going to be getting to our moniker verse of our church which is Isaiah 52 7. So, you say, well, what made you name Mountain Baptist Church Mountain Baptist? Well, one, we're in the mountain state. Okay, so that's one reason, regionally. You know, yeah, it's called the mountain state. So, that's one reason. But also, I wanted a church that had a name that was associated with soul winning. And actually, right after I named the church and I did all this stuff, I thought of, you know, because Nahum 115 I'm going to get to is also another place where it mentions that. I was like, I was like, Stronghold would be a good name, you know, like Stronghold Baptist. But I'm like, I already named it, you know, we're already established. I'm like, all right. So, when Pastor Burzins, he was out at Word of Truth, and he was talking to me about how he was thinking about moving and coming maybe to Atlanta, right? And he's like, but I don't want to name it. Like, I don't want to just move and be like Word of Truth over here. He's going to rename it. He's like, but I've been trying to think of a name. And anyway, he had some name and it was good, you know, like I forget what it was exactly. It had something to do with like Liberty or Sons of Liberty or something like that. Anyway, I was like, listen, I said, we're friends. I said, I have this name and I can't use it anyway. But after I named my church, this is the one I wanted. And I said, Stronghold Baptist, because, you know, it says the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knoweth them that trust in Him. I'm like, it's got a great verse, Stronghold Baptist. He's like, I'm using it. So, but I can't think of a better man, better pastor to take that name. And plus I can't do anything with it anyway. So I'm not just going to hold it over here and be like, it's mine. No one else is getting that name. But it's hard. It's hard to pick a name. I'm just going to tell you that right now. Because you want a unique name, but you want a name that's like scriptural. Anyway, so I like Mountain Baptist. I don't regret it. You know, like it's a good name. But the reason that, the big reason is that I wanted our church to be associated with soul winning. Okay, I want it to be a soul winning Baptist church. I want that to be what we're about. And I want it to be to the point where, you know, our name reflects what we want to do. And to the point that if we stop soul winning, it'd be like, you should take that name off, you know. Now, notice what it says in Isaiah 52 in verse 6 here. It says, Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak. Behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice. With the voice together shall they sing. For they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem. For the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. And that's what our job is to do here at Mountain Baptist Church, is to preach the gospel to every creature and to show the salvation of God to everybody. Right? To anybody that'll hear it. And, you know, that's what our moniker should be. That's what our banner should be over top of our church, is that we're a soul winning church upon the mountains of West Virginia. Now, that doesn't mean, you know, when I think about it, it's the fact that West Virginia is our Jerusalem, right? And that is our area. That's our kind of like local ministry. But I'm not saying like, hey, we don't want to go somewhere where there's no mountains. Okay? Be like, you know, let's do a soul winning marathon in Kansas. No, can't do it. There's no mountains there. So, it's not like that at all. But it's interesting how mountains are brought up when talking about preaching the gospel. Okay? Now, go to Nahum chapter 1, verse 15. Now, here's the thing. You're dealing with Mount Zion, right? It says, Seth unto Zion thy God reigneth. So, obviously, you're dealing with like Jerusalem and all that, and there's hills and stuff like that. Now, they weren't mountains like the Rocky Mountains, right? If you were to go over to Israel, it's not like that. But see, West Virginia's not exactly the Rocky Mountains either. You know, they would consider our mountains more like hills. So, but either way, mountains are a lot of times associated with preaching the gospel. Okay? Notice in Nahum 1, verse 15, it says, Behold upon the mountains, the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace. O Judah, keep thy soul and feast, perform thy vows, for the wicked shall no more pass through thee. He is utterly cut off. And you can see how that would tie into Isaiah 52. You know, we just got done talking about putting on these beautiful garments. The uncircumcised is not going to walk through because what's the ultimate end of those that believe the gospel? We're going to be in New Jerusalem where it's just the saved. Okay? That's the end game. But you see how mountains are brought up in this. But also, what's the other thing that's brought up here? Feet. Go to Ephesians chapter 6. How beautiful are the feet? So that's something that's brought up, you know, in about every passage that you'll see when it's talking about preaching the gospel. And notice what it says in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 13. Ephesians 6, verse 13, it says, Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. So we're talking about this whole armor of God, but it's talking about, when it's talking about the gospel, what is it talking about? Your feet. And how beautiful are the feet that preach the gospel of peace. Now, why does it say that? Because it says, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Because you literally need to get your feet moving. This whole idea of bringing people into church and getting them saved, that is not what God told us to do. Now, if someone comes to our church that's unsaved, and we win them to Christ, which has happened, I'm all for that. I'm not against that. Someone visits, they're like, Hey, I want to check out a church. We get them saved. That's great. But that's not how we go soul winning. That's not the main push of soul winning. That's just as much as, you know, I win someone out on a work site, or I win someone out over here and this. Yeah, that's great. And soul winning everywhere you go. But the main push should be that we go out, two by two, and in every house, they cease not to preach and teach Jesus Christ. The idea is that we're supposed to go. And you say, well, why do you go door to door? Because there's some people that don't leave their house. Especially this year, right? This whole coronavirus thing that has been going on for over a year now. There's people that just don't leave their house. And so, how are you going to win people? Yeah, it's great to go to parks. Yes, it's great to go to gatherings where you can find people and do it that way. That's fine. That's great. But in the end, how are you going to systematically make sure that you're trying to not talk to every single person that's in your area? Well, go where they live, right? And so, yeah, we're supposed to go and it's supposed to be our feet. Go to Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Because there's two things you see here in Isaiah 52. You see the fact that how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bring you good tidings that publisheth peace, right? I'm sorry, publishes salvation. So, it's talking about publishing peace, publishing salvation, bringing good tidings. What are you dealing with? The gospel of peace, which is salvation, okay? And then it goes on to say that he has made bare his holy arm, which I've touched on that last week, you know, talking about the arm of salvation. He makes bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God. So, this salvation, this gospel is not just a local gospel. It's not just for a certain group of people. It wasn't just for Israel. No, they were supposed to be the light of the world and they were supposed to be preaching the gospel to every creature. See, this scripture right here was not just to be prophetic in the future. And I'm going to prove that to you. This was not just to be like, well, in Jesus' day, this is when this will take action. No, Israel and Judah were supposed to be the light of the world. They were supposed to be the soul winners of the world and the watchmen that were going out and preaching the gospel. Go to Romans chapter 10 and verse 13. Romans chapter 10 and verse 13. It says in verse 13, For whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Now, we use this out all the time, also. I use this all the time. Because when I usually get to the prayer, I'm usually pointing out the fact that, hey, you need to make sure that the faith is there. Because calling and not having faith isn't going to save you. And there's this progression of, like, you had to have someone show you, you had to hear it, you had to believe it, right? To make that choice. Now, keep reading there. It says, And how shall they preach, except they be sent? Now, that's important to realize that if you're being sent, you came from somewhere. Okay? That means you're going. So, and then it says, as it is written. Now, when it says, as it is written, that means that there was written somewhere, and this is where it was written. And it is Isaiah 52, 7. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, that bring glad tidings of good things. Where did that come from? Isaiah 52, 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bring good tidings, that publish his peace, that bring good tidings of good. Right? And what does it say in Romans 10? It says, bring glad tidings of good things. So, it doesn't mention, you know, it doesn't say publish his salvation, it doesn't mention the mountains, right? But if you think about it, he's writing to the Romans. And when you're in Isaiah 52, he's talking about mountains because that is the region that they're in. Okay? Judah, Zion, they're in a mountainous type of region. So, to say, you know, that Isaiah 52 is just something that's going to be a future prophetic thing that's going to happen, would be kind of ridiculous when you're mentioning mountains all the time, and you're talking about Mount Zion, and saying unto Zion thy God reigneth, and saying all this stuff about that's a regional thing there, right? In Romans chapter 10, he's more so going off that this isn't just there, which obviously he mentions that in Isaiah 52 as well, right? That they're supposed to be preaching to the whole world, but he doesn't mention mountains there. Why? Because you preach the gospel to every creature wherever you're at. I don't care if it's a desert, I don't care if it's a valley, I don't care where it's at. You should be preaching the gospel. But notice, keep reading there in verse 16. But they have not obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? You know where that comes from? Isaiah 53 verse 1. So when it's talking about the report, it's talking about the gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, that he bore our sins. Now, in verse 17, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily. Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Whose sound? The preacher's. The preacher's of the gospel have gone throughout the whole world. And that's past tense, like have they not heard? And he's saying, yes, they have. They have heard, and this is why. Because it says that their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. This comes from Psalm 19, which is talking about the sun, moon, and stars, and the fact that the whole world sees those. So it's basically likening the fact that the gospel being, you know, if you say, well, where has the gospel touched? Where has the word of God gone? As far as like, where has it gone? You know, what about that island out there? You know, there's always that island with that random person on it, you know, that needs to hear the gospel, right? And it's like, where has it gone? And it's like, has the sun, where has the sun shined on? Is there a place that the sun has not shined? And you'd be like, well, there's a place where it's like, it's nighttime like for this certain amount of time. Yeah, but not the whole year. There's eventually, in Alaska, they're going to see the sun. Eventually in Antarctica, they're going to see the sun. They may have some times where it's like completely dark for like days on end, but eventually the sun's going to be seen. But I'll say this, do they see the stars? Do they see the moon? Yes, they do. So it's showing you that, hey, yes, the gospel has been preached throughout the whole world. And what you have to understand too is back then, the world was more local as far as like the people, okay? Obviously, America as the land was still here, right? It didn't just pop up into existence. But people didn't like spread out until after that. Okay, so if you're thinking like around Jesus' day, it's like pretty much, you know, you think of Africa, the Middle East, you know, obviously India and all that stuff, Europe, that's where people were at, okay? They weren't over here in North America and all that. Now, go to, and listen, someone's going to be like, wow, there were some, you know, like people speckled around there. Okay, you know, I'm not here to get into that argument as far as like if there were, but by and large, most everybody was over in that area, okay? Now, in, where are we at? Isaiah 52, go back to Isaiah 52 and verse 11. So, you know, a very important passage in Isaiah 52 dealing with the gospel and how that relates, you know, obviously to our church. So that's a big reason why I picked that name, Mountain Baptist Church, because I wanted to be known that we are, you know, a church that preaches the gospel. Upon the mountains of West Virginia, we're out there publishing the gospel of peace and publishing salvation. That's what we're about, okay? We're also a church that's about pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We're trying to climb, you know, that mountain of truth, if you will. I mean, there's a lot of reasons why you could think of why it would be Mountain Baptist Church, but the main reason? Soul winning. Okay, you want to know the main reason why I chose that name? Soul winning. That's why I wanted, that's what I want our church to be known for. So in Isaiah 52 and verse 11 here, notice what it says. It says, Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear ward. Now, in here it's talking about touch no unclean thing. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, 2 Corinthians chapter 6 at the very end of the chapter there, verse 17. It talks about not touching any unclean thing, and that you need to be clean. And it talks about depart ye, go out from thence. Notice what it says here in verse 17 of 2 Corinthians chapter 6. It says, Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. So, that's not where this is quoted from, exactly. This isn't the actual quotation of this. But you can definitely see how it relates. And the fact that depart, come out from thence, and be clean, pretty much. Touch not unclean things, and be clean. And he's still saying that to us today, that we need to come out from among them, meaning the world, right? Because it just got done saying don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, and obviously there's no concord with Christ and Belial and all this stuff, light and darkness. And the fact that you need to be separate. You need to be separate from the world. We're in the world, but we need to be separate from the world. And it says, I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters. And you say, well, is that how you get saved? You know, be separate? That's how you become a child of God? No, when you get saved, your inner man is the child of God. You're now the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what ye shall be, but when ye shall appear ye shall be like him, for ye shall see him as he is. But it talks about the children of God being made manifest, okay? And the idea here is that if you're walking in the Spirit, and you're walking a separated life, then that whole father-son relationship as far as walking in the new man, walking as a child of God is taking place, and he's going to bless you, he's going to receive you, and all of that, okay? But if you walk in the old man, that's not a child of God. That's the difference. Walking in the old man, you're dealing with the child of disobedience, the child of wrath. That's not the child of God, okay? And obviously, I know that the child of God is still in you, right? But God is basically stating that, hey, if you want to be blessed, you need to be separate from the world. And notice the blessing in Isaiah 52 and verse 12 of being clean. Because remember, all things work together for good. But it's not just for people that are believers, okay? It says for them that love God, and for the call according to his purpose. I'm probably misquoting that a little bit. Anyway, but the caveat there is it's not just that you're called, right, that you're saved, but that you love God. It says, and if you love me, keep my commandments, okay? So if you want all things to work together for good, if you want the blessings of God in this life, then you need to be separate from the world. You need to be clean, right? You need to not be in sin and trying to walk in the new man as much as possible, right? And it says, he that abideth him sinneth not, okay? So if you're going to say that you're abiding in him, abiding in the new man, then that means you can't be sinning as you're doing it, okay? And I know we all sin, so I'm not saying, but here's the thing, that's why we're not always abiding in the new man. We're not always walking in the Spirit, but we should be striving to as much as possible, okay? Now, the thing there in verse 12, and this one says, for ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight. And you say, what's haste? Well, haste would be like basically rushed out or like in a hurry or, you know, like kind of a frantic way, right? Because it says, he that believeth on him shall not be ashamed, he that believeth on him shall not be confounded, but where you find it in Isaiah, it says, he that believeth on him shall not make haste, okay? And it's basically stating that you're not going to flee, that when we go out, we're not going to go out in haste or in flight, we're not going to be fleeing. Why? It says, for the Lord will go before you, that means in front of you, right? He's going to go before you. It'd be like, I'm going to go to the store before you get there, right? I'm going to go to this place before you get there. I'm going to go before you. So God's going to be in front of you, but then it also says in verse 12 there, the God of Israel will be your rearward. Man, I can never say that right. So if you ever mess that word up, I'm with you on that one. So rearward is like, if you were to spell it out today, like the modern spelling is R-E-A-R, like rear, you know, like the rear, okay? And this is what it means. In the Bible, when it's talking about a rearward, it's talking about basically the army that's in the rear end, okay? The whole group, okay? And so he's basically stating that I'm going to go before you, but I'm also going to be behind you. So I got your front, you got your back. When it comes to anybody that's trying to hurt you, anybody that's trying to trouble you, anyone that's trying to make you flee or make haste, okay? And so this is, what you have to understand is that if you want God on your side, if you want God to protect you and keep you from evil and all of this, right? Yeah, being saved is part of it as far as you first got to get saved and who's ever believed that Jesus Christ is born of God and you're a child of God, but you need to walk in that child. You need to walk in that new man, you know, that God has created. And it talks about this blessing that he's going to go before you, he's going to go behind you. And why is it mentioning this? Because it's talking about preaching the gospel, right? We just got done talking about preaching the gospel to every creature and listen, yay and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And there's a big reason why a lot of times when Paul's talking about, you know, preaching the gospel, he's like, you know, praying for a door of affection will be opened unto him, that his word would have free course, that he deliver him from unreasonable and wicked men because all men have not faith. And the idea is that there's, you know, when there's an open door, there's many adversaries and there's many people that are going to try to stop that. But it talks about how God is going to go before us and he's going to be behind us. He's got our back, you know, he's kind of leading. If you think about it this way, God's leading the charge, he's leading you off, right? But he's also got your back, okay? And this takes faith because, you know what, whenever you get persecution out of soul winning and you get people that are, you know, giving you threats or whatever the case may be, you could very easily just get afraid and be like, I'm done with this. You know, why am I dealing with this? You know, people are trying to kill me. Well, tell that to Paul. They're like, all the times they try to kill him. They literally thought he was dead at one point because they stoned him. And it could be easily said, you know, I'm done with this, they're trying to do all this stuff, but listen, you've got to have trust that God will deliver you. And Paul even says that, that he'll deliver me, you know, out of every evil. You know, after all that stuff, he says, deliver me out of the mouth of the lion and he will deliver me from every evil. But you can't say that if you're just living in sin as a Christian. That's not a promise to you. If you're just walking in that old man and walking, you know, in that sin, right? And you need to be like Moses that counts the cost and doesn't want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season but sees the recompense of reward. But see, there's a recompense that's waiting for us, but there's a reward for serving God even in this life. And as far as the blessings of God's protection, the blessings of what God will give you in this life, and listen, I don't want to give up God's protection for anything in this world. Listen, the Bible talks about how the race is not always to the swift and the battle's not always won with the person that's strong and I'm not saying that exactly, right? You're like, is that King James? No, it's not. It's not always, you know, it doesn't matter. You could be the most skillful person, you could be the strongest person, you could be the best taekwondo person or jujitsu person or mixed martial arts person or even the best person when it comes to being a marksman at shooting. Listen, if you don't have God that's going before you and is your reward, then all bets are off because I don't care if you're the best at everything, you know, someone can still take you out. And you know what? I want God's protection. Now, go to Isaiah 52 and verse 13. So we're going to end the passage here, but this is a very important passage, okay? This is a prophecy about Jesus. And we're going to prove to you that this is talking about Jesus, okay? But in Isaiah 52 and verse 13, notice what it says. It says, Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Now, remember in the passage where it talks about how he gives his cheeks to them that pluck off the hair and it talks about his servant and all that. I couldn't really prove to you unequivocally that that's Jesus, you know, but this I'm going to prove to you unequivocally that this is talking about Jesus, okay? Notice in verse 14. As many were astonished at thee, his visage was so marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men, so shall he sprinkle many nations. The king shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Now, that's a profound statement, first of all, but go to Romans chapter 15. I'm going to show you where this is being quoted, at least a part of it, okay? It's not quoting all of it, but look at verse 21 and then we're going to back up and see the context, okay, what we're dealing with here, just to prove to you like why it would be saying this in this passage or why it would be talking about this in this passage. Romans 15 and verse 21. It says, but as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. Okay, so that's what the portion that's being quoted and because everything that was said before that, he's basically saying, but as it is written, this is why I'm doing it this way. This is why this is going on because as it is written, this, right? To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. Isaiah 52 and verse 15. So shall he sprinkle many nations. So who is the he? Okay, that's what, well, it's clearly Jesus in Romans 15. I'm going to show you that, but it says, and that which was, I'm sorry, The king shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Okay, so that's the portion that Paul is pulling out and saying as it is written, this is why I'm doing this. Okay, well, let's back up, go to Romans chapter 15 and verse 8. Romans chapter 15 and verse 8. Who's he talking about when it says that to whom he was not spoken of shall they see, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. Now, I think you would already know that this is talking about Jesus, but I just want to show you that this is talking about Jesus, okay? Verse 18. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Father. So he came here, he was ministering unto the house of Israel, the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But notice verse 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. Notice that's not plan B, that was part of it, okay? That was the plan all along. As it is written, for this cause will I confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. Now, what I'm going to point out here, and I'm going to read all of this, but it's basically stating Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, okay? That this was, he was a minister unto the circumcision, okay, why? To confirm the promises unto the fathers, okay? You say, why did Jesus only have his local ministry right there? It was to confirm all the promises. And, you know, all the scriptures as far as that, you know, and the fact that he's going to come unto his own, his owners are going to receive him not, all this stuff is going to come true. But the idea is that the Gentiles were always in that site. You know, this was always the plan. And he's going to quote off all these scriptures and it's going to look really redundant because he's going to say, and again, and again, and again, and again, okay? Notice in verse 9, again, okay, and again. No, I'm just kidding. And the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. And again, he said, rejoice you Gentiles with his people. And again, praise the Lord all you Gentiles and laud him all you people. And again, Isaiah said, there shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. Does it sound like that was plan B or does that sound like that was the plan all along? Okay, so what do you see? What's the context of what we're talking about? Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles, Gentiles. And it's talking about what's synonymous with Gentiles? Nations. Now, keep reading there. It says, now, the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written them more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mine because of the grace that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. I am ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God, for I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about all Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation, but as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that have not heard shall understand. What's the context? The whole point is that he's like, I'm not going to be in Jerusalem because he's already been preached there all the time. I'm going to a new place where they have not heard and I'm going to preach the Gospel there. What does it say in Isaiah 52, 15? It says, So shall he sprinkle many nations. The king shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. That's exactly what he's talking about. And who's he talking about? The Lord Jesus. And it says, So shall he sprinkle many nations. Well the so is referring back to the verse before that. There's a reason why he can sprinkle many nations. And I believe this is talking about the sprinkling in the blood of Jesus Christ. It talks about how Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, which are not Jewish places, those are all Gentile areas, or just other nations, right? Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification through the Spirit, and the sprinkling in the blood of Jesus Christ. So the Bible talks about that we're sanctified through the blood, the obedience of Christ, and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, and he sprinkles many nations. But how did he do that? Or why was he able to do that? Well look at verse 14. So Isaiah 52 and verse 14. And of course verse 13 too, you know, it says, Behold my servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Well we know that that's true with Jesus, right? He's going to be prudent. And he obviously is exalted, his name is exalted above every name, right? And he's seated at the right hand of the Father, and all that's true. But look at verse 14. As many were astonished at thee, his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. Now I want you to notice here that verse 14 and 15 are all one sentence. Do you see that? There's no period there. That means that verse 14 is needed for verse 15 because it says, So shall he sprinkle many nations. Do you see that? So that little piece that was said at the end of verse 15 that's talking clearly about Jesus, and about preaching Jesus to the Gentiles and to the many nations, is linked in and saying, hey, this is Jesus. This is who we're talking about. And it says here that his visage was so marred more than any man. And it says his form more than the sons of men. Now go to Psalm 22. And when you read the story about Jesus being crucified, obviously it just kind of says he was crucified. You know, it just kind of says they crucified him there, and it talks a little bit about it. More so, you see, more about the fact that he was mocked and he was buffeted and smitten in the face, right? But it doesn't really tell you about what he looked like or what effect that all had on him. They platted the crown of thorns on his head. They hit him in the head with a staff. They would slap him with the palms of their hands. They would buffet him. They'd spit in his face. All these things happened, right? But you don't really know from the New Testament as far as what did he look like and all that. But the Bible's showing us here that his visage, now what's visage? Now visage, if you were just to look up the word, a lot of times it's talking about the face. Or just the whole appearance, like your whole countenance. And it's saying basically either his face in general or just his whole body, which I think is just everything. It says it was marred, so marred, more than any man. And it says his form, so it's kind of giving you a synonym there a little bit, right? Visage, form, right? As far as like his shape, what he looked like. It says his form, more than the sons of men. So it's kind of repeating itself, if you will. But it's basically almost stating like he doesn't even look like a person. Like that's how marred he was. Now no bone was broken. Let's just make that really clear. Obviously Jesus never, they didn't break his legs, you know, that the scripture might be fulfilled. That not one of his bones would be broken, okay? But go to Psalm 22 and verse 6. Psalm 22 and verse 6. And it says in verse 6, But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people. Okay? Now I don't believe, obviously, he's saying I'm literally a worm up here, you know? That's not what he's saying. He's not saying he's an actual worm. But just kind of almost stating like I'm not even like a human being up here. It's just like this is how bad it was. Notice in verse 14, go to 14 of Psalm 22. So Psalm 22, if you know this, Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 are like the two go-to passages about Jesus being crucified and him dying for our sins, okay? These are the two go-to passages. And this is where it says, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It goes into all this. It's obviously prophetic of when he was on the cross. Verse 14 here, it says, I am poured out like water. Notice this, all my bones are out of joint. Now think about that for a second, okay? On how that would kind of look odd, right? If all your bones were out of joint, okay? And it says, My heart is like wax. It is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue cleave it to my jaws. And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have closed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. Here's where it's talking about him being crucified. I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me. Now that's a strong statement, okay? What is that talking about? Well, telling all your bones is like numbering them, okay? So I don't believe Jesus was emaciated when he went to the cross, okay? He doesn't talk about how he starved himself before he went to the cross. Now I'm not saying he ate a lot that night before or anything like that, you know what I mean? But at the same time, I don't believe he was just completely almost gone because of starvation. You see someone that starves, you kind of see every rib bone and all this stuff. The idea is that I believe that he was beaten and scourged and just everything they did to him from plucking off, I believe, the hair of his face, his beard, to the crown of thorns that they shoved into his head, to the smiting on the face that his visage was so marred more than any man to the point where he's literally looking down and he could just count all his bones. All his bones are out of joint. Can you imagine the discomfort of all of this, okay? And that sounds morbid. Well, listen, this is what he went through. He went through a lot for us. And he did this while basically the people he died for were spitting in his face and why they were mocking him and doing all this stuff to him. And I want you to think about the love of your Savior. When he's in this state right here where his visage is just so marred more than any man, his form just more than the sons of men, that he can tell all his bones. All his bones are out of joint. And then he says, Father, forgive them for they know not what you do. And then tell me about forgiveness, okay? And Isaiah 52, this is what's leading you into Isaiah 53. This is where it talks about the fact that, Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We already know. We're talking about the Gospel. We're talking about salvation. And then it goes on to talk about Jesus. But it gives us this little insight about what it's going to be like, what he's going to look like on the cross. And, you know, whatever Hollywood can do, they probably can't touch what really was there. Because most people have probably seen The Passion of the Christ, the Mel Gibson movie that was put out. When I was in college, that's when it came out. And the guy that played it, he looked pretty marred. But it says that he was marred more than any man. I don't know what that looks like. But our Savior went through that. And every time I read this passage, it just makes me love my Savior even more. Obviously, Isaiah 53 will make you love your Savior. But when you just think about the fact of what he went through, just physically, we're not even talking about the fact that he took a sinless Christ, a sinless God, who knew no sin, to take sin on him and to have God the Father basically forsake him, where he said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? That's a whole other level right there. But just think about the physical aspect of the cross, the physical aspect of everything that happened to him before he went to the cross. And then you can probably imagine why he died before they had to break his legs, right? That he wasn't far from death when that was going on. And that will show you our Savior. And listen, obviously people mock Jesus out in the world, and we need to have compassion and love for people that reject Christ. But people that just make fun of our Savior and just openly hate God, can you understand why I have no problem hating them back when the Bible says, do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Because I think about what my Savior did, and when they mocked my Savior, that's who they're mocking. And you're dealing with a perfect sinless Savior who didn't have to do that, but did it anyway, and took all that on him, and then you read passages like that, and we don't even have to see it. Just imagine what that was like, what he went through. And it just gives you an appreciation. If anything, I hope this passage gives you an appreciation for our Savior, and gives you a little more love for what he did. And I know we already did the Lord's Supper, but that's why we do the Lord's Supper, because we are to remember what he did. And I have no problem remembering what he did, because he deserves all the glory. And we need to always just be going back to the cross and just remembering what he did, and just having that appreciation, because there should be many things that motivate you to go soul-winding, as far as people are going to hell. But you know what one of the big reasons why I want to go out soul-winding? Because Jesus deserves the glory. He deserves everybody to believe on him. But we know not everybody's going to, but we should try to get as many people to believe on him, and for him to get that glory for all eternity. So let's end with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. Thank you for the Word of God. Thank you for the book of Isaiah. And Lord, thank you for this passage. And as we get into Isaiah 53, Lord willing, next week, Lord, just help me to do it justice. But Lord, just thank you for what you've done for us. And Lord, we love you. We pray also in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.