God's Grand Vision: Total Satisfaction

Speaker: Chris Jones

Date: 1st May 2011

00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 Good morning everybody. I'm going to ask you to bow your heads and pray with me.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 Heavenly Father, as we come to your word now, as we come to you,
00:00:11 --> 00:00:15 we pray that you would speak to us from your word, by your spirit,
00:00:16 --> 00:00:20 that we would be grown in Christ, that we would be drawn closer to yourself in truth.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 Queen Marguerite got one. Barack Obama didn't.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Tim Matheson got one. Tony Abbott didn't.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 Martin Fieldler, the butcher, got one. Princess Mary didn't.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:47 Brian Naylor, the postman, got one. Chris Jones didn't.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 What are we talking about?
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 But I've got one, look.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 And if I'd got one, it would say something like,
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 if you got an invitation to the royal wedding, if you were lucky enough,
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 the invitation would read something like this.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:07 The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by the Queen to invite Brian Rowe
00:01:07 --> 00:01:12 to the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, KG,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:16 with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey
00:01:16 --> 00:01:20 on Friday the 29th of April, 2011, at 11am.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 And in case you didn't notice, that was last Friday night.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:27 You mightn't care.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 And maybe you do. I think a lot of people did care.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:35 But an invitation is something which demands a response.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 So somebody makes an offer to you,
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 and you have to decide how you're going to respond to that offer.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 So you're asked to come,
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 and immediately the question sort of hangs in the air,
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 what are you going to do?
00:01:56 --> 00:01:57 How are you going to respond?
00:01:59 --> 00:02:03 And I imagine that if any one of us here received an invitation
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 to the royal wedding, the first time we would have asked is,
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 or the first thing we would have asked is,
00:02:09 --> 00:02:10 is this for real?
00:02:10 --> 00:02:15 Is somebody taking the mickey out of me?
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 It just seems too good to be true.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 When you come to Isaiah 55,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 which I hope you've got your Bibles open
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 because that's what I'm preaching from this morning,
00:02:27 --> 00:02:31 the invitation to come is a striking and surprising one
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 which really sounds too good to be true.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:37 So verse 1.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 Come, come, all you who are thirsty,
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 come to the waters.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 And you who have no money,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 come, buy and eat.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:54 Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 And come is the very first word used here.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 I think this is one of the great words of the Bible.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 It's such a, it's a winsome word.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 It's an invitational word.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:08 It's God speaking and there is this wonderful invitation
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 to come into his presence.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:14 And it's an invitation to those who don't have to come
00:03:14 --> 00:03:14 and to receive.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 And if you're thirsty, come to me for water.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 And if you haven't got money to shop with
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 or a credit card to put it on,
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 come and buy and eat and it's free
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 and there's no cost.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 It's just zilch.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:34 Now, if somebody offers me something for nothing,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 as they do all the time on the phone,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 I'm looking for the trick.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 I'm looking for the catch, the snag.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 You know, what is it that they really want from me?
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 Show me the fine print.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 Tell me what the bottom line is.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 Somebody's on the phone the other day
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 and you just know they're reading off their script.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:54 And I'm saying, I'm very sorry.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:56 I don't want this.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 And if you don't stop talking,
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 I'm just going to hang up anyway.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 And did.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 But when a free gift is real,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 it is an enormous relief.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 It is just such a blessing.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:19 I experienced much-needed kindness and generosity
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 in Chatswood the other day.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:25 I was in a borrowed car with my elderly mum and my nephew
00:04:25 --> 00:04:30 and the engine blew up suddenly and unexpectedly
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 in the middle of Daisy Street.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:35 I only had to drive two spaces to get the car off the road
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 and I stopped dead because I just thought it was on fire
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 that there was that much smoke pouring out
00:04:40 --> 00:04:41 from underneath the bonnet.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:46 And I was stranded.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 I hope it doesn't happen to you, new car, Asher.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 But I was stranded.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:51 It won't.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 It's a lot newer than mine.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 I was stranded without NRMA
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 in somebody else's car
00:04:58 --> 00:05:02 with the phone battery going flat
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 and fairly desperate to get to my daughter's graduation
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 in two hours' time.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:11 And I was at the mercy of others.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 I needed the generosity of others.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 And even when I ring the NRMA,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:15 I said, we'll give you a table.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 It'll be two hours.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 I won't tell you the whole story,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 but within an hour,
00:05:21 --> 00:05:25 Karen from the office had taken my mum to safe care.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 Brian Tung had helped me push the car.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:29 He's really good at pushing cars.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:33 He does have muscle underneath that slight body.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:39 And I received a free tome.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 Didn't charge me,
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 even without NRMA on that car.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 And I made it to my daughter's graduation
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 with half an hour to spare.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:52 But I was completely dependent on the help of others
00:05:52 --> 00:05:58 and was relieved to receive what I urgently needed.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:06 And Isaiah 55 is this invitation from God
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 to come to his abundant banquet
00:06:09 --> 00:06:13 and he invites us to receive all that is on the table
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 and he says, you can have it for free.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:23 And so you say, well, what's on the table?
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 What's for dinner?
00:06:24 --> 00:06:24 What's the menu?
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 And that takes a bit of unpacking.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:31 So you look at verse two.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 Why spend money on what is not bread
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 and your labour on what does not satisfy?
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 Listen, listen to me.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 Eat what is good
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 and your soul will delight in the richest of fear.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 Give ear and come to me.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 Hear me that your soul may live.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 my faithful love promised to David.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 Now big to the background of Isaiah
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 are the four kings of Judah
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 who reigned during the time that Isaiah prophesied.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 So he prophesied over the reign
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 of four different kings of Judah.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:12 And the kings struggle with what all governments do.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 They're a bit of a minnow
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 compared to the size of the surrounding superpowers.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 And the question for them is, who do you trust?
00:07:20 --> 00:07:24 What alliances can I make that will keep me safe into the future?
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 I think Julia Gillard was probably doing something like that
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 when she was in China the other day
00:07:30 --> 00:07:34 and making bilateral agreements on us warship exchanges
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 and visits to one another's countries.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:40 We have a lot of trading interests between us at stake.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 We seek friendship for protecting our interests.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:49 But Judah is God's country.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 And the people of Judah are God's people.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 And the prophet rebukes them and he says,
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 why spend money on what is not bread
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 and your labour on what does not satisfy?
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 He's referring to the tribute money
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 that they have been paying to the Assyrian king
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 to keep him from invading.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:16 They've been paying real money.
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 And they've also been doing real work,
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 building for themselves some of the golden idols
00:08:23 --> 00:08:27 of the surrounding nations
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 and they're getting nothing for their efforts.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 And that's sort of the emptiness of religion, isn't it?
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 You know, you can invest in something big
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 and you think it looks really great,
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 something that looks pretty fancy and delivers nothing.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 If it's fake, it doesn't work no matter how good it looks.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 But the prophet calls the people of God
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 back to trust the promises of God
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 and the word of God.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 God's not unknown to his people,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 but he is forgotten.
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 And Isaiah reminds the people
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 how God has revealed himself
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 and he's done that through a series of covenants,
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 ordeals, which he's made with them
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 throughout history.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:10 And so you see that in Isaiah chapter 54
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 and now in Isaiah 55.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 So back in chapter 54, in verse 80, he says,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 In a surge of anger, I hid my face from you for a moment,
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 but with everlasting kindness,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 I will have compassion on you,
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 says the Lord, your Redeemer.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:29 To me, this is like the days of Noah
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 when I swore that the waters of Noah
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 would never again cover the earth.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 Now, it's sort of hidden,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 so you've got to draw it out.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 But in Isaiah 54,
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 he speaks about things like enlarging your tents
00:09:41 --> 00:09:45 and he refers to himself as Yahweh,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 their Redeemer.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 So he uses language
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 which reminds the people
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 of three different covenants
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 and promises that God had made.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 That's in chapter 54.
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 So with Noah,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 I walked across the harbour bridge the other day
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 and coming right down into the harbour
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 underneath this was a rainbow.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 Couldn't see the gold,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 but you could see the rainbow
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 hitting the surface of the water.
00:10:08 --> 00:10:08 Really beautiful.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Well, that's the sign that God gave Noah
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 to say that he would never again
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 destroy the earth in such a way.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 And with Abraham and his promises,
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 he promises to enlarge their tents
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 and to make them a great nation.
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 And with Moses,
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 when he gave the sign of circumcision,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 sealing the nation that God had redeemed
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 out of Egypt.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 And so he's saying,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 God has spoken to Noah.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 God has spoken to Abraham.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 God has spoken to Moses.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 And now in chapter 55,
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 God has spoken to David
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 and God's word
00:10:45 --> 00:10:46 and God's promises
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 are still valid.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 They still stand.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 And so in verse 3 of chapter 55,
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 My faithful love promised to David.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 a leader and a commander of the peoples.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 Surely you will summon nations you know not
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 and nations that do not know you
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 will hasten to you
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 because of the Lord your God,
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 the Holy One of Israel,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 for he has endowed you with splendor.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 He's saying,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 this is 300 years after David,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 the promise of an everlasting,
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 and they're about to go into exile
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 and the northern kingdom already has.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 But he's saying,
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 the promise of an everlasting covenant
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 with David still stands.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 God's promise is firm.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 It will be an eternal kingdom
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 that will never come to an end,
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 and it will be a kingdom
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 to whom nations will be drawn
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 and they will submit to the king.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:56 There's a lot of parallels
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 between this part of Isaiah,
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 the last, you know,
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 from Isaiah 40 on
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 to the very end of the Bible
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 in the book of Revelation.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 A lot of very similar images
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 which are expressed.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 And here,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 Isaiah is talking about a kingdom
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 which will never end
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 and to whom the nations will be drawn.
00:12:20 --> 00:12:24 In Revelation chapter 11,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 there's a great cry in the heavens,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 the kingdom of the world
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 has become the kingdom
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 of our Lord and his Christ
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 and he will reign forever and ever.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 Sing it.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 It's the Messiah, isn't it?
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 And he will reign.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:41 Go on.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 That's all you're getting.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 And then in Revelation 22,
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 I, Jesus,
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 have sent my angel
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 to give you this testimony
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 to the churches.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 I am the root and offspring of David
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 and the bright morning star.
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 The spirit and the bride say,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:01 come,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 and let him who hears say,
00:13:03 --> 00:13:03 come,
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 and whoever is thirsty,
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 let him come,
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 and whoever wishes,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 let him take the free gift
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 of the water of life.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:16 So at the end of the Bible,
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 the eternal promises of God to David
00:13:19 --> 00:13:23 are affirmed as still current and relevant
00:13:23 --> 00:13:27 just as they were by Isaiah in his time.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 And at the end of the Bible,
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 they are declared in the kingship of Christ.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:37 And so this free banquet
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 is an invitation
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 to return to the word of God
00:13:40 --> 00:13:44 and to trust the eternal promises of God.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 And he is effectively saying
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 what Paul writes to Christians in Corinth.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20,
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 for no matter how many promises God has made,
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 they are yes in Christ.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 And so through him,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 the amen is spoken by us
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 to the glory of God.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 Now there might be a lot of reasons
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 why you are sitting in church this morning
00:14:15 --> 00:14:20 and perhaps have forgotten God and his word.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 And you might be
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 playing around with temptation
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 and sin
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 which is ripping
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 the heart out of your walk with Christ.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 And he hasn't walked away from you,
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 but you have been walking
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 with your back turned to him
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 and you know it.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 Or maybe differently,
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 maybe you have been bitterly hurt in life.
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 You might be like my friends
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 whose son was tragically killed at 15.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 And brought to a place in life
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 where it is very difficult
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 to think that God is nearby
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 and even cares about what has happened to you.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 And perhaps even asking the question
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 that Philip Yancey asks in his book,
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 what good is God?
00:15:16 --> 00:15:22 You might be like the people in Isaiah's time.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 Very clever in the world of politics.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 Savvy in the business world.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 Able to make your way safely
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 with the security of wealth or education.
00:15:36 --> 00:15:41 You might have walked away
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 from Christian faith in some measure
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 and started to design your own.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 All religions are the same.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 We worship the one God, don't we?
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 And so we take a bit of Islam
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 for its law and order stance.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 We like that.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 And yeah, reincarnation sounds pretty good
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 because you get another chance.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 Oh yeah, and Jesus,
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 he said a lot of stuff about love, didn't he?
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 We'll take that too.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:10 Or maybe you have stuffed up your life so badly
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 that you don't think that you can come near God.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 That he just would not want to deal with you.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 God's people have terribly offended him.
00:16:26 --> 00:16:29 And yet he offers this exceedingly generous invitation,
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 come back.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 Verse 6.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 Seek the Lord while he may be found.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 Call on him while he is near.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 Let the wicked forsake his way
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 and the evil man his thoughts.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 Let him turn to the Lord
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 and he will have mercy on him.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:49 And to our God, for he will freely pardon.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 Come back to Christ.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 When my car broke down the other day,
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 I was enormously helped
00:16:59 --> 00:17:02 by the generosity of a number of people.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 And to get the benefit of that help,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 I had to humble myself
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 and ask for it
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 and then rely on them.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 God has spoken.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 His word is clear.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 His invitation is generous
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 and we are called to respond to it.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:24 And the offer is sealed by his son
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 who laid down his life for our sins.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 So in Isaiah,
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 it's God's servant
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 and we preached about him last week
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 in Isaiah 53.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 The one who was bruised for our transgressions,
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 crushed for our iniquities.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 The punishment that brought us peace
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 was upon him
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 and by his wounds we are healed.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 You come forward into the New Testament
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 and you see the servant revealed
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 as God's son,
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 For God so loved the world
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 that he gave his one and only son
00:17:55 --> 00:17:58 that whoever believes in him
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 should not perish
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 but have eternal life.
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 And back here in Isaiah 55,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 let the wicked forsake his sin,
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 turn to the Lord
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 and he will pardon freely.
00:18:10 --> 00:18:16 See, Isaiah speaks to us
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 with enormous confidence
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 in the character of God
00:18:19 --> 00:18:21 to forgive and to freely pardon.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 He's not this weak parent
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 who forgives a child
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 that keeps spitting in their face.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 He is enormously forgiving
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 of the child who turns back
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 and says like the prodigal son,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 Father,
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 I have sinned against heaven
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 and against you
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 and am no longer worthy
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 to be called your son.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:45 Friends, hear the invitation
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 of God to come back,
00:18:47 --> 00:18:51 to trust his eternal promises,
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 to see his power
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 and his will
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56 to pardon all our offences
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 against him.
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 He is approachable
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 but only on his terms.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:11 It sounds like the impossible.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 It certainly seems too good
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 to be true
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 and God responds
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 to our unasked question,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 you know,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 how can this be possible?
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 Well, look in verse 8.
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 My thoughts are not your thoughts
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 and neither are your ways
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 my ways,
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 declares the Lord.
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 As the heavens are higher
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 than the earth,
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 so are my ways higher
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 than your ways
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 and my thoughts
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 than your thoughts.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 You know,
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 as smart as we like
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 to think we are,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 we are not even on the board
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 as far as God is concerned.
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 There is a vast difference
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 between people and God
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50 and it's expressed right here.
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 Sometimes, you know,
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 you listen to people,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 you listen to us,
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 you listen to the way we speak,
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 we treat him as an equal,
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 you know,
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 another person
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00 and it's almost like
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 we stand over him,
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 we demand a reckoning from him,
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 we question his decisions,
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 we question his justice,
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 we question his purposes,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 we question his plans.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 And God speaks here
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 and he says,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 I'm way above you people.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 My ways and my thoughts
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 are way above yours.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 And it's a good reminder
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 and not unlike
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 what God does with Job
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29 in Job chapter 38
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 and just after he says,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 you know,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 brace yourself,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 you want an answer?
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 Brace yourself like a man,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 I'll give you an answer.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 Where were you
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 when I laid the foundations
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 of the earth?
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 And on and on and on
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 and on he goes.
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 It's stating the obvious
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 but God is vastly superior to us
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 and it takes humility
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 on our part
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 to assume our place before him
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54 and to recognise his glory.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:58 And part of that humility
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 means that we don't get
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 to understand everything
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 about God.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 We only understand
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 what he chooses
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 to reveal about himself
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 and he can only be known
00:21:09 --> 00:21:13 as he chooses to allow.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 He sets the boundaries.
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 But on the other hand
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 there's nothing which is hidden
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 from his sight
00:21:21 --> 00:21:24 and he knows everything about us.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 And even the secret thoughts
00:21:27 --> 00:21:27 of our hearts.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 Every intent of our heart.
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 And I think I wonder
00:21:34 --> 00:21:36 is that a terrifying thought
00:21:36 --> 00:21:36 for you?
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 That God knows
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 every rebellious thought
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 and inclination,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 every bit of pride
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 where we exalt ourselves
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 over him
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 or others,
00:21:47 --> 00:21:49 every secret sin
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 and with that
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 the fear of a just judgment.
00:21:58 --> 00:22:00 Or is it a comforting thought?
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 In fact for me it is.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 It's a deeply comforting thought.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 God knows everything.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:14 every wicked inclination
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 of my heart
00:22:15 --> 00:22:18 and despite him
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 knowing those things,
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 the things that I would
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 never want you to know,
00:22:24 --> 00:22:26 he is my redeemer.
00:22:26 --> 00:22:30 And I know his ability
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32 to freely pardon my sin
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 when I turn back to him.
00:22:34 --> 00:22:37 That's a safe place
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 to be, isn't it?
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 Verse 9,
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 as the heavens are above the earth,
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 try measuring that.
00:22:47 --> 00:22:49 God is a fantastic God
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 with the amazing ability
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 and desire
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 to pardon our sins.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 I think that makes him
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 very, very good.
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 And the sort of forgiveness
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 that he extends to us
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 is incomparable
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 to any forgiveness
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 that we might need
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 to show one another.
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 You carried stuff
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 to church this morning,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 lack of forgiveness
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 for a brother or sister
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 in Christ.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 As serious as it might be,
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 it is puny
00:23:14 --> 00:23:16 in the economy of God.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 And that is
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 very New Testament.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:22 The parable of the servants
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 are forgiven
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 a vast sum
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 who goes and beats
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 the living daylights
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 out of the man
00:23:27 --> 00:23:29 who owes him
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 a tiny bit.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 The extravagant pardon
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 of God
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 and by implication
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 our need to forgive
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 people
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 who offend against us.
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 And so,
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 Isaiah 55
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 is a wonderful invitation
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 to return
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 to the Lord God
00:23:45 --> 00:23:47 and to trust in his word
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 and in his promises.
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 It includes
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 the amazing offer
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 of sins forgiven
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 and offences pardoned.
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 And it is true
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 even though it sounds
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 too good to be true.
00:23:57 --> 00:24:00 And it finishes
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 with a powerful declaration
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 of the supremacy
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 of the word of God
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 to do its work.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 Verse 10,
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 as the rain and the snow
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 come down from heaven
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10 and do not return to it
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 without watering the earth
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 and making it
00:24:12 --> 00:24:14 bud and flourish
00:24:14 --> 00:24:16 so that it yields
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 seed for the sower
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 and bread for the eater,
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 so my word
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 that goes out
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 from my mouth
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 will not return
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 to me empty,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 but it will accomplish
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 what I desire
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 and achieve
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 the purpose
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 for which I sent it.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 And so,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 God's word
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 is powerful
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 to achieve
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 every purpose
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 for which God
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 sends it.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 And so,
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 for a king
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 like Hezekiah
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 struggling to figure out
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 which alliance
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 to go with,
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 God calls him
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 and his people
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 to trust his word,
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 which is what
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 Hezekiah ultimately did
00:24:47 --> 00:24:49 as the Assyrian army
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 besieged the walls
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 of Jerusalem.
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 And God did the incredible,
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 he did the impossible,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 he defeated
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 the Assyrian army
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 without the people
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 of God
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 lifting a finger.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 The New Testament
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 declares the ongoing
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 power of the word
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 of God,
00:25:06 --> 00:25:08 something that cuts
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 to our hearts
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 for the word of God
00:25:09 --> 00:25:11 is living and active,
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 sharper than any
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 double-edged sword
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 and it penetrates
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 even to dividing
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 soul and spirit
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 joints and marrow
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 and it judges
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 the thoughts
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 and attitudes
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 of the heart
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 and nothing
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 in all creation
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 is hidden
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 from God's sight
00:25:25 --> 00:25:27 and everything
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 is uncovered
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 and laid bare
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 before the eyes
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 of him
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 to whom we must
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 give account.
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 The dark side
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 of the car
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 the other day,
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 I'm selling it
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 for my sister,
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 selling it in good faith
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 not thinking
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 anything's wrong
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 with it.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 The day before
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 I put my head
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 underneath
00:25:43 --> 00:25:45 to change the oil
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 and I saw
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 some of this
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 green stuff
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 which suggested
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 there must be
00:25:48 --> 00:25:48 a leak.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 Do you think
00:25:50 --> 00:25:50 I wanted to know
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 about it?
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 And so I was
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 struggling with my
00:25:55 --> 00:25:55 conscience
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 what I do
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 about this.
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 Will God
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 help me out?
00:25:57 --> 00:25:59 He brought it
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 to everybody's
00:26:00 --> 00:26:00 attention.
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 He forced me
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 to face
00:26:05 --> 00:26:07 my own sin.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 Severe mercy
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 of God
00:26:11 --> 00:26:11 isn't it?
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 I felt very
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 protected
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 through the process
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15 but he certainly
00:26:15 --> 00:26:15 dragged me out
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 into the open.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 The final words
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 of this passage
00:26:21 --> 00:26:21 are similar
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 to the final words
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 of the Bible.
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 He says
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 verse 12
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 you will go
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 out in joy
00:26:25 --> 00:26:25 and be led
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 forth in peace.
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 The mountains
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 and the hills
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 will burst
00:26:30 --> 00:26:30 into song
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 before you
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 and all the
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 trees of the
00:26:33 --> 00:26:33 field will
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 clap their
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 hands
00:26:34 --> 00:26:36 and instead
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 of thornbush
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 will grow
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 the pine tree
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 and instead
00:26:39 --> 00:26:39 of briars
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 the myrtle
00:26:40 --> 00:26:40 will grow
00:26:40 --> 00:26:40 royal wedding
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 the other night
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 the trees
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 down the aisle
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 myrtle trees
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 and this
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 will be
00:26:45 --> 00:26:45 for the
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 Lord's
00:26:46 --> 00:26:46 renown
00:26:46 --> 00:26:46 for an
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 everlasting
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 sign
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 which will
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 not be
00:26:49 --> 00:26:49 destroyed.
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 New
00:26:53 --> 00:26:53 creation
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 joy
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 delight
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 great trees
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 replacing
00:26:59 --> 00:26:59 thorns
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 beautiful
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 myrtle
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 replacing
00:27:01 --> 00:27:01 weeds
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 God's
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 covenant
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 sign
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 a new
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 world
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 a new
00:27:05 --> 00:27:05 creation
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 a place
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 without
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 death
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 or mourning
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 or crying
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 or pain
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 a new
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 world
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 that will
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 never
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 pass away
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 and Isaiah
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 invites
00:27:12 --> 00:27:12 people
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 to it
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 come
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 all you
00:27:15 --> 00:27:15 who are
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 thirsty
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 come to
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 the waters
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 and you
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 who have
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 no money
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 come
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 buy and
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 eat
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 buy wine
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 and milk
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 without
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 money
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 and without
00:27:24 --> 00:27:24 cost
00:27:24 --> 00:27:26 and Jesus
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 invites us
00:27:27 --> 00:27:27 to it
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29 the spirit
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 and the bride
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 say come
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 and let him
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 who hears
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 say come
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 and whoever
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 is thirsty
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 let him
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 come
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 and whoever
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 wishes
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 let him
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 take the
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 free gift
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 of the
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 water
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 of life
00:27:40 --> 00:27:42 not only
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 does he
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 invite us
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 he enables
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 us to
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 enter
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 he is
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 the one
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 able to
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 pardon
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 our
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 offences
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 turn to
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 him
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 come to
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 him
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 accept
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 his
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 wonderful
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 invitation
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 amen
00:27:54 --> 00:28:21 t