You can turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah 55. Isaiah chapter 55, God willing, we'll return to our studies in John next Sunday morning. But as we move on through John chapter 7, specifically in verses 37 and 38, you'll see Jesus on the Feast of the Tabernacles, that last great day of the Feast, say, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He doesn't do that in a vacuum that wasn't innovative on his part.

That's been the consistent testimony of our God throughout the Scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, sinners are called upon to come to Him for forgiveness and for life eternal. We see a great expression of that in the prophet Isaiah at chapter 55. I'll begin reading in verse 1.

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Incline your ear and come to me, here in your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. Indeed, I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. Seek the Lord while he may be found.

Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace.

The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Our Father, we thank you again for your word. We thank you for this time that we can gather together on this beautiful day. Certainly the heavens declare the glory and the righteousness and the majesty of God. And our scriptures reveal to us your grace and your mercy and your loving kindness in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray you'd give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things now. Help us to comply, to listen to what the prophet has to say in this wonderful chapter of Holy Scripture. Forgive us for all of our sin and unrighteousness, and fill each one now with the Holy Spirit, and we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction

Well, chapter 55 in the prophet Isaiah does not exist apart from context. And in chapter 52, we have the promise of redemption of God's people. Chapter 53 gives us the means by which God will redeem. It is through the life and the death and the resurrection of his son.

Jesus Christ is the servant of the Lord that is mentioned there in Isaiah 53. He's the servant of the Lord in chapter 42, chapter 49, and then again in chapter 50. And then after that, in chapter 54, we see four promises given to the people of God or to the church of God. They will increase under Messiah, under the Lord Christ.

There will be expansion of God's kingdom here on earth. There is a promise of security. There is a promise of blessing. There's a promise of stability.

And then that brings the prophet to our chapter to call upon sinners to come on to the Lord Jesus Christ. He evidences this desire that we see with our Lord Jesus at that Feast of Tabernacles when he says, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. So God, through the prophet Isaiah, is calling upon sinners to close with his Son, to believe on his Son, and to pass from death into everlasting life.

The Invitation to Come

So I want to look first at the invitation to come in verses 1 to 5, and then secondly, the exhortation to believe and repent in verses 6 to 13. But notice the invitation proper. It's literally a command. You are being called upon.

You are being exhorted by God through the prophet to come. But there's three things about this particular invitation.

A Universal Invitation

Notice that it's universal. Verse 1 of chapter 55, ho, everyone who thirsts. He doesn't say just the Jews or just the Gentiles, but this is an indiscriminate call. It goes to all peoples.

It goes to all nations. It is universally addressed. This is consistent with the Savior. In Matthew 28, he says, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.

In other words, though he's Israel's Messiah, he came to be a blessing to the Gentiles as well. You see that in this prophet. Look back at chapter 45, as God says to the earth, look to me and be saved. Verse 22, all you ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.

And if you turn over to chapter 49, again, a servant song of the Lord describing the work of Jesus Christ, notice what verse 6 says in Isaiah 49. It says, indeed, he says, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth. So while God gave the promise of salvation to the Jews, He promised to that group there would be a Messiah that would come according to the, or in the line of David, it would be in Him that persons from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation would be saved.

There's one way of salvation consistent with what Jesus says in John 14, 6, that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. It's not our efforts. It's not our good works. It's not our doings.

It's not our oblations. It is rather God's grace. And you see that secondly with reference to this invitation.

A Gracious and Free Invitation

Notice, ho, everyone who thirsts in 55.1, come to the waters, and you who have no money, come buy and eat. I've long been convinced that the most fundamental principle of economics is summarized by the acronym TANSTAFL. TANSTAFL stands for there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Now, when it comes to the gospel of our salvation, it is free.

It's not conditioned upon our performance. It's not conditioned upon our obedience. But it cost Christ everything. Again, Isaiah 53 describes the servant of the Lord.

He was a man of sorrows. He was acquainted with grief. He had no form, no comeliness. There was nothing about him in his earthly ministry that drew people to him.

In fact, John, in his introduction to the life and ministry of our Savior in the prologue, says that Christ came to his own and his own received him not. So there is no such thing as a free lunch, but in terms of gospel, it is Christ who paid the debt. It is Christ who rendered the obedience. It is Christ who went to the cross on our behalf.

Alec Motier hits upon this well. He says, yet alongside the emphasis on freeness, the verb buy is repeated. The thought of purchase is not set aside. This is no soup kitchen even if the clinic clients are beggars.

There is a purchase and a price, though not theirs to pay. It's not as if God just suspends judgment. He doesn't just redirect His wrath. We deserve God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come.

But the Savior took it in Himself. The Savior exhausted the wrath of God on our behalf. Motier says they bring their poverty to a transaction already completed. Contextually, this is another allusion to the work of the servant.

He says, his the price, ours the freeness. So while the gospel comes to us freely, It costs Christ in terms of life, death, and resurrection. Again, this is connected intimately to chapter 53, the servant song of Yahweh. So it is a universal invitation.

It is a gracious invitation. But then

A Wonderful Invitation

notice that it's a wonderful invitation. Look at how the prophet sort of entices us to come. He gives us reasons why we should come. Verse 1, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.

You who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. In other words, there's everything to be had in the gospel of our salvation. We need the water of refreshment.

We need the wine of exhilaration. We need the milk of nourishment. And you see all those things hammered on throughout the scripture. In other words, when we come to the Savior, it's not as if we go away less than how we came.

We always come away more enriched, more blessed, and able to say what the Apostle Paul, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with what? With every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We never leave empty-handed. We leave being blessed by our Lord.

So the water, the refreshment that we need, the exhilarating wine, the nourishing milk, all of that is given to us by our gracious God. So that's the invitation proper, but then notice that leads the prophet to ask a very appropriate question in verse 2a. He says, why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? In other words, if God Most High offers these things, or God Most High promises these things, or God Most High says He will give you these things, are you out of your mind that you're not taking them?

Are you out of your mind that you're pursuing other things? Have you lost all sense of reality and touch with life itself, that you would forsake that, that you would forego that, that you would pursue your own things? There is here the sinful inclination of man. John Calvin says that men are so enchanted by the devil that they choose rather to wander through deserts and to vex themselves in vain than to rely on the grace which God offers to them.

I think I've used before the illustration of C.S. Lewis. The gospel comes to us as an offer of a holiday by the seaside. Who wouldn't want a holiday by the seaside?

It sounds glorious. It sounds wonderful, especially in the midst of a heat wave. You want that nice cool ocean breeze to sort of soothe your hot skin. But men prefer to build or rather eat mud pies in the gutter than go to that holiday by the seaside.

That's the emphasis of the prophet. You might go to a good restaurant. You might tell somebody, I've got all this money. I've already put it down.

I want you to go in. I want you to feast. You want steak? Get steak, ribeye even.

You can get lobster. Get whatever it is you want. It is an open menu. And they say, no, I'd rather go around back and I'd rather eat out of the dumpster of all the scraps that others have thrown off their plates.

I don't think there would be anybody that would do that. I mean, if they were, we'd say, are you out of your mind? That's the spirit of the prophet's question here. Notice in verse 2, why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy?

Every lust you pursue, every sin that brings you so-called pleasure, ultimately ends in futility. It is vanity of vanities. It is fleeting. There is a passing pleasure of sin, the Bible indicates in Hebrews 11, but it's passing.

It doesn't satisfy. It doesn't end well. The way of the transgressor is hard, and you will ultimately learn that and discover that. So the prophet, in terms of this heartfelt question, says, why do you do this?

Why do you reject? Some of you children and young people, you're brought up in a church that tries to preach the gospel on a regular basis. You probably have family members, parents specifically, that preach the gospel to you. Why do you reject it?

Why do you continue to go astray? Why do you continue to run after that dumpster or eat the mud pies that you built in the gutter instead of enjoying the holiday by the seaside? The Lord Christ in John 10 said, I've come that they may have life and that they might have it what? Just a little bit?

No, that they might have it abundantly. The promise of the gospel is all-encompassing. The promise of the gospel is comprehensive. The promise of the gospel is everything we stand in need of.

So the prophet is right. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? So he questions them and then he gives this command. Notice in verse 2.

Listen carefully to me and eat what is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Go into the main restaurant, eat the menu that's been provided for you. Don't go around back and eat the scraps that are in the dumpster. God has much better provision than anything that this world has to offer.

Christ says it in John's gospel, my peace I leave you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give you. Oh, there's a form of peace. There is the illusion of peace.

There is that fleeting peace, but there is nothing better than a Romans 5.1 peace. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. There is nothing greater than to have peace with God. To know, as we were reminded in James 1, there's going to be a judgment to come.

How do we fare on that day? How do we stand on that day? Is it clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, or is it because we come alone without that, and ultimately end up in hell? And then notice, on the heels of his question, he then issues the promise.

So

The Promise: Life and Covenant

there's an invitation, there is a question, and now notice the promise in verses 2b to 3a. Listen carefully to me and eat what is good. Let your soul delight itself in abundance. Those things already specified, the water, wine, and the milk.

And then notice the delight of your soul. Let your soul delight itself in abundance. Some of this stuff is like trying to describe color to a blind man. Until you've come to the Lord Jesus Christ, until you've seen him as altogether lovely and chief among 10,000, some of these things are hard to process.

Some of these things are hard to connect with. Some of these things are hard to enter into. But as those saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus, we can testify, yes, This is abundance. Yes, this is provision.

Yes, this is blessing. And what Paul does say there in Romans 5.1 is absolutely true. Whatever man may do, whatever government may do, whatever the world around me may do, whatever the devil himself may do, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That's Paul's celebration in Romans chapter eight.

I am persuaded, he says. There's nothing that can happen. I kind of joke with people. You know, I've started to get back to exercising.

This isn't a Facebook moment. Hey, look at me. But a guy I see on my walk this morning said, oh, you look like you're losing weight. I said, I'm preparing for the gulag.

I want to be nice and healthy and strong when they throw me in the gulag. And he, of course, laughs about that. The bottom line, though, brethren, is if they throw us into the gulag, if they make us eat crickets, whatever it is they have for us, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is tribulation in this present world.

Jesus promises it in John 16, 33. In this world you will have tribulation, but Be of good cheer, for I've overcome the world." You see, in Revelation chapter 13, the beast from the sea, the beast from the land, having that ability to conquer, as it appears, every man on earth. They all follow him. They all do his bidding.

But then in Revelation 14, the scene shifts to the lamb and his fair army on Mount Zion. What is that inculcated to produce in us? comfort, encouragement, the reality that whatever they do, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That's the emphasis of the prophet here. He then goes on to say, incline your ear and come to me, here in your soul shall live.

There is life eternal in Christ Jesus. Now the bottom line is, is that even though people are physically alive, they are spiritually dead. The apostle addresses this in Ephesians 2. And though you being dead in your trespasses and sins, it is God who makes us alive.

It is God who grants us that faith and repentance. It is God who, as we heard earlier, calls us out of darkness into marvelous light, from something, death, depravity, dumpsters, and mud pies, into the marvelous light of his dear son, which is eternal life and communion with our blessed God. Focus on that for just a moment. Notice verse three, incline your ear and come to me.

In that last great day of the feast, in John 7, 37, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Matthew 11, 28, he says, come to me, all you who are labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The Bible is not a document that tells people to stay away. The Bible is not a document calculated to tell others, don't come anywhere near God.

The Bible is not hyper-Calvinistic. The Bible is very clear, very open, very obvious, and very conspicuous. Look to me. All ye ends of the earth, and be ye safe, for I am God, and there is no other." That's an Old Testament prophet, brethren.

There's a psalm, Psalm 117, the shortest psalm in the entirety of the Psalter, is all about Gentile inclusion in the promises of God's grace. We have this overture on the part of our God. He initiates salvation. When Adam and Eve sin, they run from God.

It's God who comes to them. It's God who kills the animals, according to Genesis 3.21, and covers them with those skins. It's God who comes to Abram out of Ur the Chaldeans and makes a promise that in him, all the families of the earth will be blessed. It's God who sent the son of his love into this world, sinners to save.

So if you're going to, or you hear, or you're sort of in tune with a church or a preacher that says, you know, just stay away. There's not much mercy. There's not much grace. There's not much hope to be had in our blessed God.

That's not the gospel of Isaiah. That's not the gospel of our blessed Savior. That's not the gospel of the apostle Paul. That is not the gospel.

It is not good news to consistently hear, stay away, don't come. How dare you be presumptuous? How dare you think that coming to God when God calls you to come is somehow presumptuous? This is His commandment that we believe on the name of the Son whom He sent. 1 John chapter 3.

And then notice the guarantee. Probably the second foundational principle after Tanstafl is it sounds too good to be true, right? You're like me, you get a call or you get a piece of mail and it says, you've just won a free cruise. I'm sorry, call me a skeptic.

Those don't typically come free. I have to listen for countless hours to somebody drawn on how I better buy something or they're going to throw me off the boat. That's not a free thing. Well, with reference to this, it can sound almost too good to be true.

You mean it's what Christ did that is the basis upon which I can go to heaven? Yeah, that's exactly it. Why? Because there is none righteous, no not one.

All we like sheep have gone astray, but it's Christ who obeyed the law perfectly. Everything the Father commanded, Christ did. He says, my meat is to do the will of him who sent me. So he lives a life of perfect obedience.

He dies on the cross for us men and for our salvation. He doesn't just die as an example of love and kindness. He dies in our place. In other words, the Lord laid the chastisement of us all upon him.

He punished the Savior in our place. And then he was raised again the third day. So again, when you preach this gospel to people, they say, wow, it sounds too good to be true. How do I know it's true?

Well, God, through the prophet, gives three reasons why it is true, and that's what he does in verses 3b to 5. Notice 3, incline your ear and come to me, here in your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you. This promise is pledged by covenant.

The Promise Secured by Covenant

This promise is pledged by covenant. A covenant is bigger than an agreement. A covenant is bigger than a contract. A covenant involves oaths.

A covenant involves sanctions for violation. A covenant is basically having or putting skin in the game. So God puts skin in the game relative to this promise to all those who by grace come to Him. He pledges it by covenant.

But then notice the promise is secured by the Davidic king. Verse 4, Indeed I have given him. So after verse 3, I will make an everlasting covenant with you. The sure mercies of David, indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people.

Just to summarize in about 10 seconds biblical covenants, God made a promise to David in 2 Samuel 7, that from David's line, a king would come. And that king would have an eternal reign. That king would save his people from their sins. that king would usher in a blessed and wonderful kingdom. You see this applied to the Savior in Luke's gospel in the nativity scene and the birth of Christ narrative.

You see the same self-same language of a David, a Davidic-like figure coming in the line of David and being that king who answers to all the promises of God, they are yea and amen in him. So how do I know this is true? It's pledged by covenant. The promise is secured by the Davidic king.

It is not something that is haphazard. It is not something that can be easily lost. It is not something that can possibly go away. And then notice thirdly, it is a promise affected by God himself.

Look at verse five. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you." Go back before we finish that verse to Isaiah 2. Isaiah chapter 2, you'll see something of this there. Again, a promise concerning the messianic kingdom.

Messiah is the Hebrew word for Christ. Both of them mean anointed one, the one anointed by God to do his particular bidding. So Christ is the one anointed by God to do his particular bidding. He comes down for us men and for our salvation.

He takes on our humanity. The second person of the Trinity never ceases to be what he is in terms of God the Son, but he takes on our humanity with everything that makes us man except sin. And He lives for us, He dies for us, and He's raised again for us. And so that is what we mean by the Messianic Kingdom.

Notice in chapter 2, verse 2. 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. You have to understand something about the Old Covenant. The Israelites, the Jews, they had heard on many occasions that Gentiles would be included in their promises.

But for whatever reason, they really didn't get it. They really didn't understand it. Paul preaching to the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 22 mentions that he'll turn to the Gentiles. And it's at that point that the Jews in the synagogue lose their minds.

They didn't lose their minds when he was talking about Jesus, the Messiah, about his life, death, and resurrection. But when Paul says, since you reject it, I'm going to go to the Gentiles, that's what outraged them, that's what incensed them, that's what made them upset. But this was always promised, notice, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it. 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.

He will teach us his ways, we shall walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Now going back to 55 at verse five, it says, surely you shall call a nation you do not know. And nations who do not know you, notice the language there, shall run to you.

If you learn anything this morning, that's what you should do with reference to Jesus. Don't run away from him, don't reject him, don't resist him, but rather run to him. Jesus asks his disciples, do you also want to leave? And Peter says in John 6, 68, Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life. In other words, we have to be near you, we have to go to you, we have to believe on you. But back to verse 5, surely you shall call a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God. So as we're reminded from James 1.18, of His own will, He brought us forth by the word of truth.

It's not our will that's supreme. It's not our will that chooses for Jesus. It's God's will that is primary. It is God's will that awakens.

It is God's will that brings us to that place of the recognition of the sin in our own hearts. Man, we'd rather eat out of dumpsters than a nice, beautiful meal. God brings that conviction. God shows us that.

God underscores to us what we are apart from Him. And then it's God who draws us, it's God who calls us, it's God who brings us to that place where we close with our Lord Jesus. He says, nations who do not know you shall run to you because of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel, for He has glorified you. So, in summary, this invitation to come is glorious.

It is wonderful. It is beautiful. Please don't stop up your ears or resist this or reject it, but rather, by God's grace, run to the Savior today.

Exhortation to Believe and Repent

Now, notice the exhortation to believe and repent in verses 6 to 13. The passage goes on. Again, this is another reason why we know it's not so good or it's too good to be true. No, there's more information that God through the prophet Isaiah wants to tell us.

But

Faith: Calling Upon the Lord

notice in the first place the emphasis on faith and repentance. So let's just say we tell people about what there is. There's this beautiful meal. You don't have to eat out of dumpsters.

There's a holiday by the seaside. You don't have to play with mud pies in the gutter. There's all these blessings to be had. Well, hopefully you're going to say, well, how do I get them?

How do I obtain them? How is it that I can have an interest in those things? Well, here's where the prophet emphasizes faith and repentance. He doesn't say just go out and try harder, just go out and be better, just go out and do more.

That's not the emphasis that he gives. He says you need to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you need to turn from your sins. The sorts of things that we see in New Covenant preaching. The same sorts of things that we see all throughout the book of Acts.

We see an emphasis to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We see an emphasis to repent. Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Acts chapter 2.

So notice faith and repentance in verses 6 and 7. He says, seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. That's faith.

When you turn to the pages of the New Testament, that is given to us as faith. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Well, the calling upon the name of the Lord is an expression of the faith that is in our heart. It is that reality that brings a sinner into saving contact with our blessed God.

It is faith in Jesus. Our brother mentioned the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Persons have tried to wrench that out of its biblical context by invoking James. James teaches the same thing.

Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth. Well, the bringing us forth is to believe the gospel. It's to believe on Jesus. In the language of the prophet here, it is to seek the Lord while he may be found.

To call upon him while he is near. Turn to Romans chapter 10. There's a wonderful expression of that in Romans chapter 10. One that I'm sure we're all familiar with, but again, you'll see it is consistent throughout biblical data.

Romans chapter 10, beginning in verse nine. Well, we'll pick up in verse 8. But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart.

That is the word of faith which we preach. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says whoever believes on him will not be put to shame.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord over all is rich to all who, notice, call upon him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?

It means to believe the gospel. It means to believe on Jesus. So when Jesus says in John 7, 38, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. The emphasis is upon thirst.

We saw that in John chapter 6 when he talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He doesn't mean we have to become cannibals. He doesn't mean that we have to actually take a bite. He's talking about faith.

It is to believe the gospel of the salvation God has given freely to sinners. Turn back to Acts 2. While you're in Romans, it's not a far jump. Acts chapter 2, same sort of an emphasis.

The Apostle Peter invokes the Prophet Joel, and in verse 21 he says, And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And then what does he do from that point on? He tells us who the Lord is. He's the Lord Jesus Christ who took on our humanity.

He's the Lord Jesus Christ who died in our place. He's the Lord Jesus Christ who was raised again from the dead. He's the Lord Jesus Christ who is exalted to the right hand of the Father. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord by faith shall be saved.

That's the promise of the Bible. The idea is not, oh, just do better and try harder, as we're reminded in the last hour. Let me just try to put this in a way that our brother put it, teaching the confession. If right now I said, go out and be perfect, just forevermore do everything God always commands.

Well, if you say, OK, sign me up, you really don't understand yourself, and you really don't understand God's law. You really have no inkling whatsoever of holiness. But let's just assume, for the sake of argument, that you're 25. And from this day forward, you don't sin again until you're, you know, not until.

You die at the ripe old age of 75, and you think you go off to heaven. What do you do about the sins that you chalked up from years 1 to 24? You see, it's Christ who not only by His life gives us a righteousness that we need, but by His death brings forgiveness for the sins that we are guilty of. Christians have been accused of being odd ducks because we sing about the blood of Jesus.

Well, those who understand what the blood of Jesus signifies, his death as a sacrifice and as a substitute, they understand it all too well. Remember that Old Testament system? They had a tabernacle and then a temple, and they were taught they can't just wander into the presence of a holy God. They had to sacrifice animals.

They had to bring their animal on the Sabbath day, cut its throat, turn it over to the priest, the priest would carve it up, and he'd barbecue some, and then he would take some of the rest for himself. That was what they learned. We can't just wander in to the presence of a holy God. Well, that was typological.

It pointed forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. See, that's what we need. We need our sins taken away. We need our sins atoned for.

We need our sins washed away. So yes, we need that righteousness of God, but we also need that forgiveness of sins. And back to the prophet Isaiah,

Repentance: Forsaking Sin

after he says in verse 6, seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, he highlights the place of repentance. Now faith and repentance are two sides of the same coin. He says, let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord.

So when we come to the Savior, the idea is that we leave off the sin. It's in the first place a change of mind. We have a change of mind about our sin. I'm not going to play with mud pies in the gutter when I can go to the holiday by the seaside.

There's a change of mind. So as we're on our way to the holiday by the seaside, we've left the mud pies behind. When it comes to going into that restaurant that's bought and paid for and that wonderful meal, when we go to that table to feast on those good things, we leave behind the dumpster. We don't try to bring a few of those scraps with us so that we can supplement the good food that we're getting.

That would be outlandish. And so faith is coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is leaving the sin behind. Now, repentance is never perfect in this life.

Don't think you'll always be done or ever be done with all sin always. No, the Bible tells us there's remaining corruption. When we come to Jesus, we come to Jesus. We seek by grace, not only to believe on him, but to forsake our way.

Notice the language. Verse 7, let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord. See, sin is a comprehensive problem.

It's not just external, it's not just what you do, but it's what you think as well. It's internal, it's external. It's the mind, it's the heart, it's the soul, it's the affections, it's the actual instrument. So let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

Let him return to the Lord and then notice the promise of forgiveness in verse seven. And he will have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Again, if you're not familiar with your own sin, you might wonder, why does he say abundantly pardon? Because we're abundantly sinful.

As John Newton said, I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great Savior. There's no sinner out there that can claim to be the worst. Paul claimed it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And we know that God was able to conquer him.

The Apostle says this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world sinners to save. And then he says, of whom I am chief. Well, why would he say that? Because as Saul of Tarsus He was trying to persecute the church.

He was trying to destroy the church. He stood idly by while persons were being martyred. Stephen was being stoned to death while Saul of Tarsus looked on in hearty agreement and consent. In fact, Saul of Tarsus held the garments for those people so they would have less restraint so they could throw stones at Stephen.

So there's this abundant pardon that a gracious God gives to abundant sinners. So never think this way, well, I'm too sinful, the Lord will never have me. Let me tell you, friend, that's the exact person that the Lord came for. The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

In fact, look at this in chapter 21 of Matthew's gospel. Matthew chapter 21, look at what Jesus says to the religious leaders of his day. What might we think that Jesus would say to the religious leaders of his day? You're great.

You're religious leaders. You're doing a fantastic job. You're doing a bang-up job. You're so good.

You're so pious. You're so holy. Absolutely, positively not what Jesus said to those religious leaders of his day. If you look specifically at verse 30-1, He gives a parable, we'll pick it up in the story.

Notice in verse 28, Matthew 21, 28. But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not.

But afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir. But he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father? Now, even the religious leaders got this one, okay? They're not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, but they understood it. Look at verse 31.

They said to him, the first. So the young man who said, no, I'm not going to do it, and then regrets it, and goes and does it, is more to be commended than the one who says, oh yeah, I'll go do it, and never does it. Now, notice how Jesus applies that to his listeners. Jesus said to them, assuredly I say to you, that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but tax collectors and harlots believed him. And when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him." Again, emphasis on faith there. What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? It means to believe on Jesus Christ.

So there's this faith and repentance that go hand in hand, and we see that there is abundant pardon to be had with God Most High. And then

The Nature and Power of God

the passage ends with an encouragement concerning the power of God. The passage ends with an encouragement concerning the power of God. Notice verses 8 and 9. It underscores His nature, His being, who God is.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. There's been a lot of misunderstanding with this passage. It does not mean we can't know anything about God.

We have over 31,000 verses from Genesis to Revelation that tell us we can know something of our God. We know that He's holy. We know that His thoughts are not our thoughts. We know that His ways are not our ways.

So it doesn't mean we can't know anything about God. That's a faulty way to read verses 8 and 9. The text may point to the astounding reality that there's abundant pardon with our God, I mean, that's something that should blow all our minds, and we should go, yeah, wow, God's thoughts are not our thoughts. God's ways are not our ways.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts. The thought that He would actually forgive a wretch like me is truly amazing. It's celebratory. It's fantastic.

It's awesome. Or more likely, it fits in the context. Why is the sinner told to seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near, let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return to the Lord? Because God's thoughts are not our thoughts, God's ways are not our ways, says the Lord.

In other words, outside of Christ, we're contrary to God. Outside of Christ, we don't want Him. Outside of Christ, we don't do what He says. Outside of Christ, our ways and thoughts are so perverse and so polluted and so wretched.

This is the rationale behind why we need to be a revolution in our hearts. We need to be born again. We need to believe the gospel. We need to turn from our sins because God is not like us.

And therefore, by grace, he makes us into his image in a most blessed way by conveying to us salvation in our Savior. So there is the nature of God. But

The Efficacy of God's Word

then notice the power of the Word of God in verses 10 and 11. That's the analogy from nature. We all get that, right? You know, you don't have to be a biologist to understand that you need rain from heaven and you need sun. all that sort of stuff to produce growth, right?

You can't say, well, I'm not a botanist, so I don't know, you know, how seeds, you know, germinate and actually grow. I think that's pretty fundamental, pretty basic second-grade science. I'm sure we all have that. So, as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there.

Now, again, in the process of, you know, evaporation, he's speaking, you know, not with literal precision concerning the scientific method. He's saying, as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and do not return there, their purpose is to water the earth. Its purpose is to make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. He then gives this application with reference to the Word of God.

And this is why you should never miss church. This is why you should always read the Bible. This, I mean, obviously you got to go to work, you got to do that. I don't mean always 24-7, your boss is paying you to work. not read the Bible.

So obviously exercise wisdom and judiciousness at that point. But notice what he says in verse 11. Each section parallels the preceding analogy. So as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, verse 10, verse 11, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth.

With reference to verse 10, it doesn't return, but it rather does something. So with reference to the Word, it shall not return to me void. And what's the purpose for which God sends it? It says, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I think at this time in our existence, a lot of Christians are probably very weary, and a lot of Christians are probably very vexed, and a lot of Christians and churches are probably discouraged. I mean, come on. We've had a rough past two years. I mean, they closed our churches for a great deal of that time.

They kept us from visiting our family members who were dying or dead. They did some horrific things to us, and there is a discouragement that settles in. And when you look at the bigger picture, I mean, there's not a lot of help coming from outside of the current political structure. There's not a lot of, oh yeah, we got the cavalry coming and they're going to vindicate all wrongs and set everything right.

So there's a discouragement that can settle in the hearts of God's people. But Isaiah the prophet tells you, don't be discouraged. God's got this. God sends forth his word.

It does not return unto him void, but it always accomplishes the purpose for which he sent it. In other words, we rest secure in God's providence. We rest secure in God's program. We rest secure in God's plan, knowing that in Christ all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

That doesn't always mean steak and lobster for the church while we're going through these things. It oftentimes means hardship, pain, suffering, tribulation, and trial. But we're never to lose confidence in the proclamation of God's holy word. We're never to lose confidence in what James appeals to in 1.18, of his own will, by the word of truth he brought us forth.

What does Romans 10.17 tell us? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by what? By the word of God. So the power of God's Word, the blessedness of the preaching of God's Word, the personal study of God's Word is absolutely crucial for the people of God not to grow downcast, not to grow weary, and not to lose sight of God's government over all things.

The analogy highlights the necessity of the Word, the power of the Word, and the efficacy of the Word that it will not return unto him void. And then

The Promise of Future Blessing

the final aspect is the promise of future blessing from God in verses 12 to 13. Again, this is to encourage us, this is to help the people of God not to grow downcast or weary to the point where they throw up their hands and they say, forget it, I'm just gonna sit in my living room and hope that it all happens soon. Notice in 12, for you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn, shall come up the cypress tree." Now, when you think thorn, think curse. When you think thorn, think Genesis 3. When you think thorn, think Cain. Remember, Cain sins against God.

Cain rejects the word of God. Cain rebels against God. And God says, you know what? You're going to work, but it's not going to be easy.

There's going to be thorns. There's going to be thistles. There's going to be hardship. There's going to demand from you a sweat of the brow for you to put food on your table.

There are consequences associated with our sin and rebellion. So notice what the prophet is saying. There is a day coming with reference to the reversal of the curse. You can read about that in more detail in Revelation 21 and 22.

But here it says, instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. This idea that it shall be to the Lord for a name highlights the emphasis on God's glory. See, we read the Bible in a very man-centered way. Some read it just for principles on how to be a better them.

Others read it for salvation, and that's good, but we stop there. It's God's glory that is uppermost. It is God's glory that is the consistent refrain throughout the scriptures. It is God's glory that is to be had, and that's what the prophet is pointing to.

One commentator says that conquerors in the ancient world were accustomed to set up memorials that would preserve their names and tell of their conquests. They still do this, by the way, they just build libraries and put their pictures all over them. Their legacy, their conquest, what they've accomplished. He says, conquerors in the ancient world were accustomed to set up memorials that would preserve their names and tell of their conquests.

He says the transformed earth would be a memorial of God's victory, forever a sign of the power of the living God. A transformed earth, a transformed community, a transformed humanity will magnify the glory of God in the salvation of needy, helpless, vile sinners through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Application

Thus the exposition, a few thoughts, and then we'll close. First, the accomplishment of the redemption that is spoken of here is because of chapter 53. If you're not familiar with Isaiah 53, go home and read it this afternoon. It's talking about Jesus.

It's talking about the one who came from God to save us from our sins. Alec Motier says, when people respond to the Lord's word calling them to seek, forsake, and return, the effective power of that word brings them into an experience of the love, forgiveness, and peace of God and lifts them into membership of a new world of eternal duration. He says, this is what the servant accomplished. This is what the servant accomplished.

In other words, there are greater things on the horizon for God's people. Glorious things, revelation. There's a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. We pray for Myanmar, we pray for China, we pray for the various countries of the earth, we pray for Canada, that God's gospel would go forth, that it would not return unto him void, but it would accomplish the purpose for which he sent it, and we know that he's pledged it by covenant, he's provided the king that undertakes for the salvation of sinners, and he himself is the one who effects the blessing that he has promised to needy sinners all over the globe.

A second observation. This is a passage primarily addressed to unbelievers. We're going to deal with that in just a second. But I think it does call believers back to re-examine our priorities.

What are our priorities? Are we going to the back of the restaurant for some old scraps? Are we content to play with the mud pie in the gutter? I mean, God has given us abundance.

God has pardoned us abundantly. God has called us into relationship with Him. Do we make much of that? Is that a boon in our existence?

Is that a joy to us? Is that something that we crave and desire? Again, it's reflected in the way that we live. I'm not suggesting come to church because I take, you know, I've got a list in there and I, you know, his brother so-and-so I missed again.

That's not it at all. But if we believe that the gathered people of God are getting together, singing, praying, and rallying around the word of God as a means of grace, we'll utilize that means of grace. The Lord's Supper tonight, that's where God the householder provides for the weary pilgrim the things that we need to continue on. We look at it as our service to God.

The supper is God's service to us. He owns the house. He gives us the benefit of bread and wine. He brings encouragement to our hearts and strength and faith and help to us.

So brethren, if we are not valuing and prizing and delighting in these things, perhaps this passage will be a gentle reminder for us to stop going to the back of the restaurant, to stop going back into that dumpster, to realize the blessings that we have from our gracious God. But in terms of unbelievers, listen to what the prophet says. The invitation or command is repeated several times. Notice, three times in verse one, and then again in verse three.

Come to the waters, come buy and eat, come buy wine and milk. Verse three, incline your ear and come to me. This would be a simple sermon to discuss at lunch. Kids, what was the sermon about?

Typically, they just say, God, and they're always right, but that kind of misses the point. If they say, come, they're right. That's what the prophet is saying to you today. He's not saying stay.

He's not saying go away. He's not saying continue in your sin. He's not saying go back to the dumpster, go back to the mud pies. He says come four times.

What's the theme of Isaiah 55? The theme is to come to Christ. Notice as well the graciousness of the invitation. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

It costs Christ everything, but for us, it is free. For us, it is given. For us, it is provided. For us, it is without condition.

We need to understand that. As well, the description of the blessings. Your soul shall live. You'll have joy and peace.

Doesn't everybody want joy and peace? I mean, I know there's a certain class of people out there that seem to thrive on misery, pain and destruction, but most normal people want joy and peace, right? If you ask 10 people, I think nine will say, I want joy and peace. Well, joy and peace is to be had in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notice the promise of the presence of God, and your, let your soul delight itself in abundance. God, not your stuff, not your sin. The promise of the mercy of God, 7b, again, don't miss that. He says, let him have mercy on him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

You can turn to Psalm 130, where the similar emphasis is made by David in that particular psalm. Psalm 130, I hope, is known and loved by all of us in our church. We oftentimes rehearse specifically verses 3 and 4. It comes out of the context of verses 1 and 2.

The psalmist is hurting. The psalmist is down. The psalmist is discouraged. But it's not about external conditions.

It's about the condition of his own heart. It's about his own sin. It's about the reality that he has offended a holy God. So notice in verses one and two.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. He calls out to God, listen to me.

I'm in dire straits here. I've got huge issues. I've got massive problems and I need you. What's those massive problems, David?

If you, Lord, verse three, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? That's a truism, right? God is holy. He's righteous.

He's just. There is none of us righteous in his sight. There is none of us who does what he calls us to do. So if you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

But then notice this gospel statement in verse four. But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared. And the feared there isn't. I'm gonna run and hide from you.

It is rather I'm going to run and hide in you. I'm going to take my refuge in you. And then notice how he ends this particular psalm at verse seven. Oh, Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is notice abundant redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Not just a partial, not just a little bit. I'll forgive you that. the second table violations, but you're up to your own on the first. No, he forgives all of our sins.

That's the blessedness of the gospel. As well, the urgency of the situation is probably a good place to end in our exposition of Isaiah 55. Turn back there and you'll notice what the prophet says in verse 6. I don't wanna scare anybody.

I don't wanna end on a negative Nelly note, but you need to pay attention to what the prophet says and to the implication that we're gonna derive from it. Notice in verse six, seek the Lord while he may be found. You mean there's a time when he may not be found? Yes, there may be a time or there is a time coming when he may not be found.

Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Don't tarry. Don't resist.

Don't reject. He's full of pity, full of power, able to save, and willing to do so. Don't resist it. Don't reject it.

Don't rebuff it. Don't say, well, you know, all these promises, all these enticements, all of these incentives, all these good things, but... Nah, forget it. I'm gonna continue to do what I've always done, and I'm gonna head right to hell.

I'd rather eat dumpster scraps. I'd rather eat, you know, play with mud bites. I'd rather do everything and anything than what God calls upon me to do. Well, listen to the prophet.

You may not have tomorrow, and I'm not trying to scare you, but seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. And when you do, you have the assurance provided to you, not just in Isaiah 55, but from Genesis to Revelation, that all those who call upon him will have everlasting life. Amen.

Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank you for your Word. Thank you so very much for the prophet Isaiah and for what he tells us in chapter 55. And we know it's based upon what the servant does according to chapter 53 and what our New Testaments tell us concerning the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. who did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, who laid down his life as a ransom for sinners. We give praise to you for this gospel.

We pray that it would be proclaimed throughout the earth today. And we have the confidence from this chapter that that word will not return to you void. It will accomplish the purpose for which you sent it, just like the rain and the snow do what they're intended to do. Bless us in this day.

Help us to glorify you. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, you can stand with me and turn now to 564 as we sing praise to God. 564. ♪ Who only do and wondrous works in glory excel ♪ ♪ Who only do and wondrous works in glory excel ♪ ♪ To all eternity ♪ ♪ The whole earth let His glory fill ♪ ♪ Amen, so let it be ♪ ♪ The whole earth let His glory fill ♪ ♪ Amen, so let it be ♪ The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. God, may you affect these things in our own hearts and lives. May you encourage and strengthen our hearts and build us up in our most holy faith.

Cause us to persevere by your grace and for your glory. Bless your churches all over the earth today as they gather together for worship and may your Holy Spirit be present. to bring salvation to sinners and strengthening to the saints of Christ. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, please be seated for a brief time of meditation.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:21
• 2 Samuel 7
• Psalm 117
• Psalms 117; 130:1-4; 130:7
• Isaiah 2:2; 42; 45:22; 49:6; 50; 52; 53; 54; 55:6
• Matthew 11:28; 21:28-32; 28:19
• Luke 1
• John 1:11; 6:68; 7:37-38; 10:10; 14:6; 14:27; 16:33
• Acts 2:21; 2:38; 22
• Romans 5:1; 8; 10:8-13; 10:17
• Ephesians 1:3; 2:1
• Hebrews 11:25
• 1 Timothy 1:15
• James 1:18
• 1 Peter 2:9
• 1 John 3:23
• Revelation 7:9; 13; 14; 21-22