Today’s Text is Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”

Brothers and sisters, we are living in a time of moral darkness—a time where the very foundations of truth are being challenged and even overturned. 

What was once universally recognized as sin is now celebrated as virtue, and what was once upheld as righteousness and truth is now condemned as bigotry, hate and intolerance. 

This is not a new phenomenon. 

Isaiah 5:20 is a divine indictment against a culture that has abandoned God’s standards and replaced them with man’s arrogant rebellion.

This text is not merely a historical or Biblical relic; it is a prophetic warning echoing from the corridors of time and reverberating in our own generation today. 

We are witnessing the fulfillment of this woe in real-time—where evil is called good, and good is called evil. 

Today, we will examine three manifestations of this moral rebellion and how the church must respond.

*First, let’s discuss The Nature of the Woe:

The word “woe” here is not a sigh of despair; it is a declaration of judgment. 

In Scripture, “woe” is a prophetic pronouncement of God’s coming wrath upon those who defy His law. 

Isaiah 5 outlines six “woes” against Israel for their covenant unfaithfulness, and verse 20 zeroes in on their moral corruption.

God’s people had twisted His standards. 

They had taken His clear commandments and turned them upside down. 

They called evil “good” and good “evil.” 

They celebrated what God condemned and condemned what God celebrated. 

Sound familiar?

We see this in the world today in three devastating ways:

*The most glaring example of calling evil good is the sexual revolution. 

What God calls abomination (in Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27), our culture calls “love.”

What God designed as sacred—marriage between one man and one woman—is now mocked as outdated, oppressive, and even hateful.

Homosexuality is called "pride."

Transgenderism is called "courage."

Fornication is called "freedom."

But God’s Word has not changed. 

Romans 1:32 warns that those who “approve of those who practice” sin are just as guilty as those who commit it. 

The church must not bow to this cultural pressure. 

We must speak the truth in love—but we must speak the truth.

Next, there is  The Murder of the Unborn: or Calling Genocide "Choice"

Since 1973, over 60 million babies have been slaughtered in the womb, and yet this holocaust is celebrated as “reproductive rights.” 

What God calls murder (Exodus 20:13, Psalm 139:13-16), our culture calls “healthcare.”

Abortion is called "women’s rights."

Killing a child is called "compassion."

Opposing infanticide is called "extremism."

This is Isaiah 5:20 in action. 

We have taken the most vulnerable among us and sacrificed them on the altar of convenience.

The blood of these children cries out to God (Genesis 4:10), and woe to the nation that ignores their cries.

*We also have The Attack on Biblical Authority: Calling Truth "Hate"

The most insidious inversion is the rejection of God’s Word itself. 

The Bible, which has shaped Western civilization for centuries, is now dismissed as “myth,” “hate speech,” or “intolerant.”

Preaching repentance is called "judgmentalism."

Defending biblical marriage is called "homophobia."

Upholding God’s design for gender is called "transphobia."

This is the spirit of antichrist (1 John 4:3)—a rebellion against God’s ordained order. 

When a society rejects divine authority, it descends into chaos (Judges 21:25).

*Now, let’s talk about The Root of the Problem: A Rejection of God’s Law

Why does this happen? 

Because sinful man hates God’s law. 

Romans 8:7 says, “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

When a culture abandons Scripture, it loses its moral compass. 

Without God’s law as the standard, every man does what is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 14:12). This is why we see:

Universities teaching that truth is subjective.

Governments redefining marriage and family.

Media glorifying sin and mocking righteousness.

This is not progress; this is rebellion. 

And rebellion always leads to destruction.

 What is The Church’s Response: Courageous Conviction

What must we do?

We Must Refuse to Compromise

The church cannot afford to be silent. 

We must preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), even when it’s unpopular. 

Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we must refuse to bow to the idols of this age (Daniel 3:16-18).

We Must Raise a Godly Generation

The only hope for our culture is a return to biblical truth. 

We must disciple our children in the fear of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) and train them to stand against this moral insanity.

We Must Pray for Repentance and Revival

2 Chronicles 7:14 still applies: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

*So We Have a Choice to Make:

Isaiah 5:20 is a warning, but it is also a call to action. 

Will we be like Lot, who was tormented by the sin around him (2 Peter 2:7-8)? 

Or will we be like the silent majority who went along with the culture’s decay?

The time for cowardice is over. 

The church must stand firm. 

We must call evil evil and good good, no matter the cost. Because one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

Let us be found faithful.

Amen.