In the sermon titled 'The City of God,' Mala Chindongo discusses Isaiah chapter 2, highlighting the prophetic vision of God's exalted city, which stands in contrast to the worldly cities that draw the attention of many. The sermon delves into the significance of cities in both biblical and contemporary contexts, emphasizing their roles as centers of power, learning, and influence. Chindongo points out that while many are drawn to worldly cities like Babylon, God's city represents true peace, justice, and divine learning. The sermon covers the themes of God's judgment on idolatry and pride, the restoration of Israel, and the future establishment of God's kingdom, where His glory will reign supreme. It encourages believers to focus on the spiritual city, the Church, as the embodiment of God's promises and to live by faith, seeing beyond the current imperfections towards the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan.

Good morning. So in text for this morning, again will be in Isaiah chapter 2. I'll be reading the entire chapter. So please follow along. Isaiah chapter 2.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob come and let us walk in the light of the Lord. For you have forsaken your people the house of Jacob because they are filled with eastern ways They are soothsayers like the Philistines and they are pleased with the children of foreigners.

Their land is also full of silver and gold and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is also full of horses and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. People bow down and each man humbles himself, therefore do not forgive them.

Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His Majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up, and it shall be brought low. Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bishon, upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, Upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall, upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops, the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of man shall be brought low. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols he shall utterly abolish.

They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily. In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which they made each for himself to worship to the moles and bats to go into the clutches of the rock and into the crags of the rugged rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty when he arises to shake the earth mightily. Sever yourselves from such a man whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he? Let's pray. And God, we thank you so much for your word.

And we thank you so much for sending forth men who know you to proclaim it in front of us that we would learn, that we would grow, that as my brother said earlier, that we would get a greater glimpse of your glory on mornings like this. We pray that that would be the case. We pray that as your word says that you would be exalted above everything, that you alone would be exalted here in this place. Please Lord, make this place where you're exalted by our attentive listening and submission to the preaching of your word for the edification of your people, for your glory and for any here who are lost, that they would see your great glory today, the mercy offered through Christ and that they would know you. Thank you for this time.

We ask for your help and for your blessing. In Jesus' name, Amen. I'll bring you greetings from a church across the seas and this is a church that loves this church and regularly prays for this church And they just met earlier today. We happen to be six hours ahead of you, so we get to experience everything first. And we're very happy about that.

It's a joy to be here and be able to share the Word of God with you. We rejoice at the things that we've been able to do together as churches over the years and we pray for more. As we read our text Isaiah chapter 2 I would like to bring a message before you with the title, The City of God. The City of God. And right at the beginning, you will notice that Isaiah in chapter one, in chapter two, sorry, and one through this four, he brings before us what he calls the mountain of the Lord or the house of Jacob.

And I do want to say that you will notice that all of us, at least many of us, from growing up, and I would say maybe this is the case with Africa and many of the people there, that there is such a draw to cities. The stats seem to indicate that by 2075, 50% of the world's population will be living in cities, so these will become very populated cities. There's a draw to cities and you probably ask why. We see today that many people are seeking to come over to places like the United States and to live in cities like New York and Washington and Chicago, all these beautiful cities that are well built and majestic in many ways. And they are attractive and there are many who would love to live in those cities.

But cities are not an accident. You know, They just don't happen. Cities have always been around. There is today the race for who can build the most beautiful city, who can build the most prosperous and technologically advanced city. But we find in scripture cities being discussed for different reasons.

And cities tend to be the center or the heart where everything happens. They lead our nations. If you want to change a country or a nation, you first change the city. You bring change to the city, you can change everything in that country. Everything flows from cities.

And Isaiah knew that. He understood that. And when he speaks to the children of Israel regarding the city of our God, he makes a contrast. There's a contrast that he makes when he looks at the Pergan cities of the day and the city that God had promised the children of Israel. Look with me verses 1 through verse 4.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains." So he promises this city, this house of Jacob that will be highly exalted, will be on top of other mountains. And why should Isaiah save us? As you read chapters 1 to 12 of the book of Isaiah, there's a clear message there that God is addressing first the children of Israel. Now He moves on from chapter 13 to 29, or sorry, to 28, addressing the nations.

But here his focus is Israel, because at this point, there is what you would call the death of genuine and real worship in Israel. We read in Isaiah chapter 6 in the year that King Uzziah died and that is very important because that was the end and the death of true worship in this nation. And Isaiah is looking at the children of Israel who are so caught up looking out to other cities, looking out specifically to Babylon. Babylon was the center of attraction at the time. It was the city that everyone at the time wanted to go and live there and make a life there in Babylon.

Isaiah is looking at the children of Israel and he says to them, God is supposed to be your ever-present help, but you as God's people, you're looking out. Now, again, if you read just the history and Nebuchadnezzar himself and all that he was able to accomplish the cities of the Assyrians, the Chaldeans as they are known. You will see that there was more attractive with these people their armies, their economies, their cities and truly it was a temptation for the people of God and this is where Isaiah is coming from and so he paints this beautiful picture of God's city and he says there will be a city. Right now you're so focused looking out and looking for help where you shouldn't. But God will establish his kingdom.

Now he takes time to warn the children of Israel, again chapters 1 to 12, warning them of the coming judgment that God would judge Israel, that he would send the children of God into exile, into Babylon for 70 years, that they'll be stuck there for that time and that after 70 years he would bring them back and he would rebuild the nation of Israel, that he would rebuild the temple, that he would restore worship in Israel. But again you read in the minor prophets that even after that time had passed, had elapsed, that God had fulfilled his promise and had restored the glory of Israel and they are back in the promised land. That even those who had seen the former temple when they saw what had been built, the city that had been restored, the Bible says they wept, because they remember what the city of God looked like before the Babylonian captivity. But Isaiah is looking ahead. Isaiah is looking beyond this restoration.

He's looking at the city that God would establish. He's looking at the glory that Israel would enjoy when God fulfills all his promises and he speaks of this great city in verses three and verses two and three that it will be highly exalted and he began to describe to give the children of Israel a view of the city of God. Listen to the language he uses. He says, now we shall come to pass in the latter days. He tells us when this will happen.

It will be in the latter days. It will be in the glory days. It will be in the end times. And then as we read the scriptures, we understand that the end times begun when Jesus rose from the dead. And so the rebuilding of this city will be at the end of the ages, followed by the consummation when Christ comes again, the last days.

So God is at work right now. He is building the city. In the latter days, he says, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted. So the first thing he points out is that this future city, the mountain of God, will be highly exalted. It'll be the chief city.

It'll be the city that all men, all peoples will desire to live, will desire to be a puddle. This will be the place where everyone will desire to make a life. It says many people in verse 3, many people shall come and say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. So it will not be just where people want to live, it will be a place where they will be inviting one another. Come, let us go.

But it will be at the end of the ages. And this is what God is doing today. He is building a city. He is building a place for his people, the mountain of God. Look at what he says in verse four.

Just before that, he says towards the end of verse three, for out of Zion shall go forth the law so he begins to give us a step by step detailed picture or view of what this city will be like in the latter days. Out of Zion it will also be a place of learning. You know cities are centers of learning. If you want some higher education you go to the city. Now things are changing, we can do this online, but generally you go to the cities and that's where you find all the major universities.

And God paints that picture for us. He says when God is building and when he designed this city he wants it to be a place where people can come and learn but not just learning anything he says out of it out of Zion shall go forth the law shall go forth the word of God the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. This is where people will go so that they can be taught the things or the law or the word of God. We find the same prophecy in Micah chapter 4. He says the same thing that Isaiah is saying to us in chapter 2.

I'll just read this for you very quickly. Micah chapter 4 from this one, he says, now it shall come to pass, the same words in the latter days, in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and peoples shall flow to it." When you and I are going out doing evangelism or we're sharing the gospel with people, we are inviting them to the city of God. We are saying we are members, we are citizens of the kingdom of the city of God and we want you to be a part of it. One man has said that from the foundations of the world, from beginning, from the start with creation in Genesis chapter 1, God has been busy with one work and that work is the building of the city of God. Listen to what he says in verse four, he shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people, and they shall beat their swords into plushes and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." He says that this city will be a city full of peace. It will be a city of peace. People will not fight anymore. These are men and women that were used to war. They had no war.

They were under the threat of war. The Chaldeans had always planned to attack Israel and God had warned them of this. And He says to them that the peace that you don't have now, you will when this city is built, it will be a city filled with peace. Nation will flow to this city so they can be taught what justice is. It will be a city, it will be a place that God will use to judge nations, to bring justice into the world.

We're seeing that song by faith. It'll be a place where peace and justice reigns. Turn with me to Psalm chapter 48, which was read earlier on. Listen to the way the summits describes the city of our God. Psalm chapter 48 from this one through this four.

The words of God, it says, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in his holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces. He is known as her refugee. For behold, the kings assembled. They passed by together.

They saw it and so they marveled. They were troubled and they hastened away. Fear took hold of them, took hold of them there, and pain as of a woman in birth pangs, as when you break the ships of Tashish with an east wind. As we have heard, so we have seen. In the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, God will establish it there.

It will be a place of peace. Now you notice that in verses 5 to verse 8 he takes a turn as he describes what is outside of this city of God. Read with me from this five, it says, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord, for you have forsaken your people the house of Jacob because they are filled with eastern ways. They are soothsayers like the Philistines and they are pleased with the children of foreigners. Their land is also full of silver and gold and there is no end to their treasures.

Their land is also full of horses and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols. They worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. Listen to this, verse 9, people bow down and each man humbles himself therefore his conclusion is therefore do not forgive them. It says outside of the city of God are those who are left out, those who are forsaken and refuse to walk in the light of the knowledge of the Word of God.

Though it is a place where there is no forgiveness. He says outside of the city of God is where God is pouring out his wrath. He says this is where they worship idols. They are filled with Eastern ways. They trust in their chariots.

They trust in their silver, in their gold, in their treasures. They worship the works of their own hands. He describes the lifestyles of the Pergan nations outside of the city of God. Those who profess in some some form of worship but do not worship the true God. They trust in their horses to make war.

These are idol worshippers, those who worship the things they have made, the futility and stupidity of idol worship, that they place their hopes in these things. And the writer says, this is where God is bringing judgment. It is where he's pouring out his wrath. The mighty one of Israel is pouring out his wrath outside of this city. He says these are the cities that will be humbled.

Look at what he says in verse 11 of our text. It says, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the wholeness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the days of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty." And he describes the judgment of God that he would eventually and as you read Isaiah you will notice that from chapter 13 he begins to address the nations and he actually goes on to judge the nations and pours out his wrath as described in verses 11 all the way to verse 18. He says in verse 13, upon all the seeders of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the oaks of bashing, upon all the mountains and upon all the hills that are lifted up, upon every high tower and upon every fortified wall, God will pour out his wrath upon these high mountains. In verse 16, he will do so upon the ships of Tetosh.

He will destroy them and upon all the beautiful slopes the loftiness of man God says he shall humble he shall destroy he shall bring it down and the holiness of man shall be brought low the Lord alone will be exalted so here's a picture that he paints for them that he is a city of God that's highly exalted beautiful glorified by God himself on the other hand you have got cities where God is pouring out his wrath in judgment Because of what? Verse 18, but the idols he shall utterly abhorrish. As you think about, as we think about, as you think about your faith, your Christian life, this is not where you want to be found. You want to be found in the city of God, where there is peace, where there is safety, where people are taught the ways of the Lord. You want to be part of what God is doing, the building of this city for the glory of his son Jesus Christ.

This is where you want to be found. Outside of the city is hopelessness, is God's judgment. Listen to what he says in Revelation chapter 22. If you can tend there with me so we can see this together. Revelation chapter 22.

This is one of the things I love about the book of Isaiah is how the writer, inspired by God, he is able to paint these pictures, these vivid pictures for us of what God is doing in the world today. What He was doing then, what He's continuing to do and what He will do. In Revelation chapter 22, look at verse 14. Blessed are those who do His commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city but outside this is what Isaiah is doing in the whole chapter of Isaiah chapter 2 He gives us this highly exalted city and then what is outside in verse 15, but outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie. So you and I, we want to be found in the city of our God, where peace and justice reigns.

Because outside of the city of God is where he's pouring out brimstone and suffer and fire is where destruction and death is. We don't want to be found outside the city. You read in numbers of the 48 cities that God had given to the Levites and he instructed them that they should set apart six cities and designate these cities as cities of refugee and that if someone had committed a murder and it was a case that needed it wasn't clear it was a case that needed to be investigated they could be they could flee to those six cities and that it will be a place of safety and that death would not touch them in those six cities. There were cities of refuge. There were cities that to us are a type of Christ.

When we hear the gospel, it's a call for us to flee to the city of refugee, to hide in that city from the angel of death. Let's go back to our text and look at what he says from this 19 through verse 22. He says they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the curves of the earth from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. When he arises to shake the earth mightily in that day, a man will cast his idols of silver, his idols of gold, which they made each for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to go into the cliffs of the rocks and into the crags of the rugged rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty. He paints for us this hopeless place outside of the city of God when he the Lord arises to shake the earth mightily and then he says in verse 22, server yourselves from such a man whose breath is in his nostrils for of what account is he there is hopelessness hopelessness outside of the city of God.

There is no life outside of this city. He says they will desire, they will cast off their idols, but it will be too late for them. We see Jesus as he tells, he says this in Matthew chapter 24, that in that day when the Lord descends, that people who worshiped idols will say and they will cry out to the rocks, fall on us, that even the rocks and the mountains will refuse. Outside of the city of God is where he is pouring out his wrath and the picture he gives us is that we should not trust in the arm of flesh. And this was the problem with Israel, the nations looking out and seeking to find hope among those nations.

St. Augustine wrote a book called The City of God. Here's what he says, he says the aphoristic city has made for herself according to her heart's desire, force gods out of any sources at all, even out of human beings. And in our day and age, it's easy for us to say, you know what, we're not like those primitive Pergan nations that would carve out something and worship it. But like Calvin said, that their heart is a factory of idols.

That we manufacture idols and this is who we are. We can worship and we can turn anything into an idol and worship it. And Augustine says we've done this out of all kinds of sources, even out of human beings, that she might adore them with sacrifices. The heavenly one, here's a contrast, the heavenly one on the other hand living like a wayfarer in this world makes no false gods for herself. On the contrary, she herself is made by the true God, that she may be herself a true sacrifice to God.

In Psalm 46 Verse 4 to 5, there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in her midst, or in the midst of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns. You see the same thing in Revelation 21 and verse 2, and I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

All the descriptions of the church that we see in the New Testament are given to us in Isaiah chapter 2. What the nature of the church, what it should be like, that it is highly exalted, it is a beautiful bride of Christ Himself. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11 and see this the New Testament understanding of what is being discussed in Isaiah chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 11 reading from verse 8, The writer says, by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

He went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Listen to this. For he waited for the city, which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. He had faith but his faith was teaching him something that even as he walked on the earth, his eyes were fixed and waited for the promise of God which was a city promised to him.

And whose maker and builder is God Himself. And this is what God is busy with in this world building a city and that city is as Isaiah tells us the mountain of God and as we will see in Hebrews that that city is the Church of God. Now we don't see it clearly today but this is what Abraham had that's different from what we have that he had faith and all God's people in the New Testament age have that faith that they can see beyond the problems of our churches today. Again look at verse 13 in the same chapter Hebrews chapter 11, 13 to 16. These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off.

That's what faith is about. We are assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. I love this language because it's not just about saying I have faith in Jesus. It is to be able to have these particular things that he says to us. He says they all died in faith having not having received the promises and then he says but having seen them afar off and this is what we need These are the kind of eyes we need to have to see beyond what God is doing in this world that is not yet perfected but a time will come where it will be perfect.

And we need to have those eyes to not be blinded but with the glories and the cities of this world but to remember that God is building a city and we don't see it clearly now and as we say that the city has been built, is being built, and it will be built. And that we are city dwellers, that we were dwelling in God's city, we are dwelling in God's city, and we will dwell in that city when he's finally handed over to us. He continues to say and so this is this is what they had they they were assured of this is faith they embraced we need to embrace what God is doing today they confessed that there were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for those who say. It's not that they spoke words. And yes, they could have said things, but it's not that they spoke words, but it's what they possessed in their hearts.

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland as they gave themselves willing to suffer with God's people willing to have their property planted they were saying something what were they saying he tells us They were declaring plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind, this is what the children of Israel failed to do in Isaiah chapter 2. They were tempted and they looked back and and and wanted those cities that God had already warned them about. He says if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return but they desire a better that is a heavenly country therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared what a city for them this is what God is doing is what he is doing from the foundations of the world. This is what God is doing.

He's building a city for His people. And we want to be city dwellers, but dwellers of the city of God. So cities don't just exist for nothing. Cities are proclaiming to us with all the problems our cities have. They are proclaiming to us.

They are a reminder of what God is doing. Next time you travel to one of your beautiful cities, think about that. Look at it and be reminded. You see its majesty, its glory and these high rising buildings, the technology and all the things in them, and you're impressed. Look beyond.

Be reminded. And look beyond and see what God is doing. In Hebrews chapter 12, if you may attend with me there, Hebrews chapter 12, listen to what he says from verse 22. Here he addresses again God's people. He says in verse 22, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.

Listen to this. The heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn who are registered in heaven to guard the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant to the blood of the sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel we have come to a city of God where there is blood speaking better things for us and this is the invitation you say I'm a believer today I've come to Christ I know him I've repented of my sins it's an invitation to the city of God. It says you have come and this city is the Church of Jesus Christ. From the day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, from the day that Jesus uttered the words I will build my church, he had already started. Building the city and this city will be glorious, it will be the most beautiful city.

You see, for now, we see, just think about Noah. Sorry, think about Lot. God sends the angels, they warn him of the pending judgment. Lord is wasting time thinking about this and that. And the angels just drag him out of the house and say, you need to flee.

And Lord says, please, I don't think I can make it to the mountains. There's a little city over there, a city called Zohar. Please, let me flee there. And the angels had mercy on him and they say, yes, you flee to that city. And he flees to that city and and and Lord is safe in that city you know the name of that city the name of that city Zorwa is translated insignificant Just a tiny little city that no one cares about.

It's not important, it's not that big of a deal and no one says, the Lord says please let me flee to that little city and the angels let him find safety in that little city and the Church of Jesus Christ is like that city. Today it's like a little Zohar, insignificant. Like you all say here that we have bigger fish to fry, isn't it? You know, we have so many other important things to do. We don't need to be busy with this small, insignificant little Zohar.

The local church, the church of Jesus Christ, we don't need to be busy with this small, insignificant little Zohar. The local church, the Church of Jesus Christ, we don't need to be busy with the church. It's so insignificant. We look at its glory today, it's not the most glorious. As men would say, it's full of hypocrites, right?

And we see the inconsistencies, we see people struggling, we see how tiny and how small it is. We don't see why it should be attractive. But this is the faith these writers, these men and women of faith in the book of Hebrews had. They had faith. They saw beyond the insignificance of this city.

They saw what God was doing. That's what faith is about. To see beyond all these problems. To see beyond all the things that we don't see to be attractive. And We see this with as many Christians that we feel like the church is just not that big of a deal.

It's not where we need to spend and invest our time. But the Bible is showing us and Isaiah is showing the children of Israel by extension. He's showing us that God has has a big picture he's doing something big he's building a kingdom he's building a city for himself for his people and you and I we need to have that faith we need to see beyond We need to see beyond the problems of our church. Listen to what John Owen says. He says, no man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight hereafter, Who does not in some measure behold it here by faith?

Did you hear that? No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight hereafter. Who does not in some measure behold it here by faith? So we should be able to see what God is doing. Otherwise we will not behold it when it's finally consummated.

When it's finally revealed fully before our eyes. Here's a point, all this, all this just to say build your life around a local church. Build your life around a local church. Genuine faith will make God's people build their lives around a local church knowing what God is doing. A gospel, faithful, Bible centered local church knowing that God is in the business of building a city called the Church of Jesus Christ.

For some of us, the church, and I would say this for all of us, that the church is our lifeline. That's all we have. Because outside of the church of Jesus Christ, outside of this city is death and destruction, is chaos. This is all we have, the Church of Jesus Christ. This is our lifeline.

This is what will keep us safe. This is what is maintaining and sustaining us. Is maintaining and sustaining us. So you find a church and you build your whole life around that church loving those people, caring for those people, as inconsistent as they might be, loving those people, genuinely seeking their growth, their sanctification. That's what faith does.

When you see Christians not willing to endure, when you see Christians not willing to shepherd one another, when you see Christians not willing to go out and call others to come in, that's just not because they are busy, it's because they are not looking with the eyes of faith. That's what causes us not to be involved in each other's lives, to ministering to one another, caring for one another, loving one another. What stops us from doing that is faith. It's an issue of faith. Because if we have eyes to see and we can see beyond all that is going on in the world today, all that's going on in our local churches, all the problems in our local churches, If we can see beyond the glories of this world, we will love the church, minister and seek the growth of the church.

Because we know that one day, everything, everything we know, everything we've seen, everything we've heard about, all those things will be so insignificant, will be useless. The only thing that will matter will be the city of God and those who dwell in that city. Amen. Let us pray. Oh dear Father, we're so thankful for the gift of faith.

We could not come up with the ideal faith. We could not somehow cook up some faith within us. But Lord, you gave us faith. You opened our eyes to see the beauty, the glory, to see that there is hope in Christ. You caused us to moan, to weep, Lord, to be sorry because of our sins.

You opened our eyes to see what is right and to understand what is wrong from your word. And Lord, we are thankful. We pray for a deeper faith that words like this from Isaiah 2 may cause us to grow in faith, to mature in faith, to see better, to have a clear vision of all that you are doing in the world today. Lord, help us not to be blinded by the glories and the beauties of this world, O God. Help us not to be confused with all that's going on, all that's wrong in this world.

Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus. Father, to love Him, to love His people, to care genuinely for His people, knowing that these are city dwellers, those who dwell and those who have come to the mountain of God, to the house of Jacob, the city that's beautiful and highly exalted, the glory of Christ where He is the King and where He reigns and He's reigning now and He will reign forever. Father, just open our eyes that we may see, that we may see Jesus. We pray this in His name, Amen.