y'all get tired of hearing what
I've been thinking about probably but I was thinking about this
tonight as y'all were coming in what it would be like if this
didn't exist if I didn't have my family in the Lord life wouldn't be much I'll tell
you that it'd be tough wouldn't it the worship of God, to know
Christ, if all this was, it makes me wonder, what do people live
for? But we know the answer to that, don't we? Because it hadn't
been that long ago, we were doing the same thing. But this life
is not much without knowing the Lord and
the worship of God and his people and all the things that we take
for granted. And yet we're thankful. Thankful
to God for. Let's read our text in Isaiah
56. One through eight. You'll remember now we looked
at this same passage. But we focused on. The phrase throughout this passage,
three times, it talks about keeping the Sabbath, and we'll see that
again, but we're gonna go verse by verse, Lord willing, tonight.
But you'll remember that we talked about that. Isaiah 56, one, thus
saith the Lord, keep ye judgment and do justice, for my salvation
is near to come and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the
man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on
it, that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, keepeth his
hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger
that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord
hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch
say, behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto
the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please
me and take hold of my covenant, even unto them will I give in
mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than
of sons and of daughters. And I will give them an everlasting
name that shall not be cut off. Also, the sons of the stranger
that join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the
name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath
from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant. Even them
will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house
of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be accepted Upon mine altar, for mine house
shall be called a house of prayer for all people. The Lord God,
which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith, yet will I
gather others to him. Beside those that are gathered
unto him. Well, let's pray. Father, thank
you for your glorious word. Thank you for your promises,
all of which are yes and so be it in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for him. He is the messenger of the covenant,
his blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant. Bless us as we come
to your table tonight to remember our Savior and that precious
blood where he washed us. from all of our sins, his precious
name, amen. Now in this same passage of scripture,
as I said last week, we saw keeping the Sabbath and how that all
has to do with rest. Sabbath is rest because of a
finished work. God rested, not because he had
done all he could do, He could have done whatever he wanted
to do. He rested because what he set out to do, he finished
it. He accomplished it. And those who keep God's Sabbath
are those who rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now he rested at
the end of the old creation. He created everything, the old
creation, and then he rested. And the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished
the new creation, salvation, made as his people new creatures
in himself, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, and he
rested. He ascended to the throne of
glory and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.
It simply teaches that salvation's of the Lord. He finished it and
he rested. He said it's done, and it was
done. Now looking at this passage more
generally, we see that two types of people are mentioned as being
particularly blessed of the Lord in this new covenant. The new
covenant having to do with the Sabbath, he mentions covenant
in several places here, also in this same passage. Two types
of people which represent the Gentiles. The sons of the stranger
are mentioned, and eunuchs. And both of these are called
in verse eight, others. I'm gonna gather others. I'm
gonna gather the sons of the stranger. I'm gonna gather the
eunuchs. I'm gonna gather those that were
excluded by law under the old covenant. That's the gospel. If you're not a Jew, you're included
here. Others. He mentions Israel in
verse eight, and then others. that's us unless we are a Jew.
These two descriptions are given for a reason the sons of the
stranger and the eunuchs because they are particularly mentioned
under the law when the Israelites are about to enter into the land
of Canaan there is law given that hadn't been given before
or at least we don't have it recorded in scripture. But they
are about to enter glory and God says hold on there are some
folks that aren't going in. And listen to it, Deuteronomy
23, one he that is wounded in the stones or hath his privy
member cut off shall not enter into the congregation of the
Lord. That's the eunuch. And when your children ask you
on the way home what that's all about, don't call me. Verse three of Deuteronomy 23,
and Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation
of the Lord. Strangers, they're strangers to the Commonwealth
of Israel, even to their 10th generation, shall they not enter
into the congregation of the Lord forever, under that old
covenant, it's not gonna happen. Now these particular laws were
given upon entering into Canaan, as I said, and they teach how
that only God's elect can enter into his rest, his Sabbath. You're
not, by definition, you can't keep his Sabbath if you're not
one of his. You're not gonna rest in Christ.
Now, God's elect, our text also shows how that God's elect is
not just the earthly Israelites. Though they pictured the elect
of God under the old covenant, God chose Israel, the most repulsive
nation on the earth. That ain't me saying that. That's
God saying that. Fewest in number and stiff-necked
and rebellious. Always whining and complaining
and never just obeying God and submitting to his will. Always
murmuring. stiff-necked and rebellious.
And he's told us clearly that's a picture of the fact that he's
chosen the base, the weak, the foolish, the despised of this
world. And so they did picture the elect
of God and only they entered into the land of Canaan. No strangers
are going in with you, no eunuchs are going in. But now in our
text we have a look at the new covenant. The one ratified, fulfilled,
and established by Christ. And it does include the eunuchs
and the strangers. Now this is confusing to a lot
of people, but it doesn't need to be. Under old covenant law,
the Israelites pictured God's elect. That's clear. He chose them from among all
the nations of the earth. But God's true spiritual elect
is not limited to earthly Jews. It never was. Not then, not now,
not ever. It's a picture of the spiritual
elect of God. God's true spiritual elect not
only includes many Gentiles, but it excludes many Jews. You're
not elect because you're a Jew. You're elect because you're Christ's. Paul said in Romans 2.28, he
is not a Jew which is one outwardly, talking about salvation, talking
about what it is to be a spiritual elect of God, neither is that
circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew
which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart and the
spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but
of God. You can't brag, but Paul said
I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, used to be real proud of that.
But when I met Christ, I realized that that's nothing. That's a
disadvantage, if anything. Because most of the Hebrews hate
God. That's dumb. And I'm running after Christ.
He's salvation. Not my earthly heritage, not
my religious heritage. Not my keeping of the law, but
Christ. And only God. receives praise in that. And
as for the Gentiles, we read in Revelation 5, 9, they sung
a new song, saying, thou art worthy, Christ, the Lamb is worthy
to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was
slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. There stands in glory
those praising the Lamb and said, you've gathered us from everywhere
all over the world. So clearly the spiritual elect
is not limited to Israel and clearly Israel, much of Israel
is excluded. He said in Romans chapter 11
that Israel has not obtained it, has not obtained that which
it seeketh for, favor with God, salvation, but the election hath
obtained it. Being a Jew by earthly heritage
is not salvation. Knowing Christ by God-given faith
is salvation. And in Christ Jesus, listen how
clear this is. Turn with me to Galatians 3.26.
This is so clear. And we look at this ever so often
because it is confusing to a lot of people. There's been folks
that sat right here in this church, in this congregation, and you'll
be thinking about this, I know, from now on, and you won't hear
another word I say. You'll try to figure out who
it was. But that's not important. There have been folks that have
worshiped with us for years that I could not convince them that
the earthly Jews were not the people of God. They're just not. They're not. They are a picture
of God's spiritual elect, and that's all they are. Most of
them are hellbound, Christless rebels against God. They are
not God's chosen people. Galatians 3.26, For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus, not by earthly heritage. And
that's what he's talking about is earthly. He's specifically
saying your earthly heritage is not how you enter in. Because
that's the context, that's what this is talking about, as we'll
see in a minute here. Your children of God, by faith
in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized
into Christ, have put on Christ. And there is neither Jew nor
Greek. It doesn't matter what you are if you're Christ's. Is
that clear? What could be clearer than that?
And I'll tell you this, it doesn't matter what you are if you're
not Christ's. Does it? If you're not his, if you don't
believe on Christ, does it make any difference that you're a
Jew? Of course not. How can that not sink in? Because we're ignorant, aren't
we, by nature? We just believe what we believe
because our parents believed it or whatever. I don't know
where we get the nonsense that we get, but if we're gonna get
some truth, we're gonna have to get it from God. As many as
you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and there's
neither Jew nor Greek, neither is there bond nor free. There's
neither male nor female. No earthly distinction matters. He's stressing that. For you're
all one in Christ Jesus. And listen to this now. If you
be Christ's, apostrophe S, if you belong to him, if you believe
on Christ tonight, I don't care where you're from, you're Abraham's
seed. Abraham's spiritual seed. And
that's important because in the context of this he said that
back in the Old Testament it says in your seed all the nations
of the earth will be blessed. And Paul said it says seed and
not seeds because it's talking about Christ and everybody in
him. If you be Christ's that promise
way back then was made to you not the earthly nation of Israel.
They were just a picture of that, a shadow. Then are you Abraham's seed,
and you're a real Jew, a spiritual Jew, and heirs according to the
promise. That's who God made his promise
to, the spiritual Jew. His promises are yes and amen
in Christ, not in Abraham. Is that clear? It's pretty clear. Seemed like it. So under this
new covenant, outcasts and rejects are welcome. Strangers. Isn't that what it said in our
text? You strangers, I've got a place
in my house for you. I go to prepare a place for you.
You strangers. You excluded ones under the old
covenant. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
2 please. Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 11. Wherefore remember that ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision. flesh made by hands, that at
that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers." That's right from our text. Strangers,
the sons of strangers. You were excluded under the Old
Covenant. And again that's a picture. There
were Gentiles saved in the Old Testament, but officially and
generally they were excluded to show that. That only the elect,
the only way a sinner is saved is if God chooses you. Strangers from the covenants
of promise having no hope and without God in the world, but
now In Christ Jesus not in Israel not in Abraham In Christ You
who were at one time far off or made not by the blood of Christ
for he is Our peace now and listen he hath made both one. There's
no Jew or Greek. There's one. There's one family
one flock Remember he said one fold and one shepherd Broken down the middle wall of
partition between us and Having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for the
making himself of twain one new man, so making peace between
Jew and Gentile. There's unity, there's one. And
that he might reconcile both unto God. He not only reconciles
sinners to each other, but he reconciles all of those sinners
that are reconciled to God. There's two reconciliations talked
about here. In one body by the cross. having
slain the enmity thereby. Christ's enemies tried to kill
him, but what was really killed was my enmity toward God and
his toward me. Peace, peace. And came and preached peace to
you that were far off and to them that were nigh. The Israelites,
they were nigh in the sense that they had all the advantages,
they had the word, so-called prophets, though many
of them were false ones. But it doesn't matter whether
you're near or far. You got to be one with Christ. You got to be reconciled to God.
And that message is Christ and his precious blood. For through
him, we both have access by one spirit. Through him, through
the lamb slain. mentioned in verse 16, Christ
crucified by one spirit under the father. Now, therefore you
are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and of the household of God. Isn't that what our text
said? I've got a place for you in my house. By the way, what
a coincidence that the house of prayer, we've been going through
Isaiah for how many years now? And going through Luke for how
many years? The house of prayer. same day. The household of God and are
built upon the foundation of the apostle and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building
fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord,
in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit. His house is not a building,
His house of prayer is not a building. It's his people. Now look what
the Lord says to these strangers in Eunuchs who were expressly
forbidden by the law that we read in Deuteronomy under the
old covenant because of the importance of that picture, that teaching,
that only God's elect are entering in to his promised land. That's
it. But he said in verse five, I'll
give you a place in my house. I will give you an everlasting
name. Verse seven, I will bring you
to my holy mountain. Well, let's start back at the
beginning and we'll be quick, but look at verse one, keep ye
judgment. Keep ye judgment. Now think about
this. The word keep means to guard as you would a precious
treasure. We think about keeping the law,
We think of that as meaning obey the law. But the word keep often
in scripture, like here, keep judgment, it means to treasure
it, to treasure it, to count it to be precious and worthy,
to be guarded. Judgment means justice, government,
legal authority, And of course it's talking about God's judgment.
Don't keep your judgment. Don't treasure your judgment.
Your judgment is not His judgment. His is to be treasured and guarded
and kept. In other words, God is saying
to these who cannot, by the very law, judgment and justice and
righteousness have to do with the law. And by that very law,
these ones are excluded. And God's saying, keep it. Keep it, keep judgment. Those
who cannot satisfy because of who they are, they've already
been disqualified. He's saying to those who have
been excluded by the judgment of God and the justice and righteousness
of God, satisfy all of that. Look at the next phrase. Righteousness. You got to satisfy
that now. Keep your judgment. Satisfy all
of that and enter in. That's what he's saying to them.
But we're disqualified. How are we gonna satisfy that?
Remember now that this whole passage that we've looked at
is about gathering these outcasts and including them. And God is
establishing right up front, the only way you're gonna be
included is by justice. By judgment. By justice being
satisfied. That word justice there is righteousness. Righteousness. So, these very
ones who are excluded, he's saying, you're included, but you're gonna
have to keep the law. You're gonna have to treasure
God's law. As Paul said, you're gonna have
to love the law of God after the inward man, and also, justice
gotta be satisfied. The righteousness of God has
got to be satisfied. It must be right for you to be
included. And look at the next words now
because this is how that can be. This is how that can be. Let me get back over to Isaiah
56. Put a marker there. And do keep treasure, treasure
judgment and do righteousness, do justice. That's the only way
I can include you. All right. How can those who by virtue of
who they are disqualified from entering in, enter in? By the justice and righteousness
of God. Now, God's gonna have mercy.
It's got to be mercy, right? But mercy that's justified. Mercy according to righteousness.
Remember, it's God's law that excluded them. We read it in
Deuteronomy. So how can they be justly included? Look at the next phrase. My salvation
is near to come. It's near, it's near. My salvation
and my righteousness is about to be revealed. It's about to
be revealed. You're fixing to find out how
those who are disqualified by law can, by that very law, be
welcomed into the house of God. The righteousness without the
law is gonna be revealed. Romans chapter three. Isn't that
right? My salvation is near, my righteousness
is about to be revealed. I believe the Apostle Paul may
well have had that text in Isaiah 56 in mind when he wrote, therefore
by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin but now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested. Manifested,
it's revealed. God said right there it's about
to be revealed and Paul is saying it's revealed. The righteousness
of God that includes unincludable. That's exactly what is being
said in our text and the fulfillment of that Paul says right here
in Romans 3, is Christ and what He did being witnessed by the
law and the prophets even the righteousness of God which is
by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all
them that believe on Him. Righteousness by grace through
faith in Christ as our righteousness. For there's no difference for
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You're not
coming in, you're not getting in. But being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, because
of the righteousness of God in Christ, the faithfulness of Christ
to keep the law that we didn't, and the redemption purchase price
of his precious blood for us that is in Christ Jesus were
justified freely. Verse 25, whom God has set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare
his righteousness. There's our text again. I'm about
to make known my righteousness. What's the answer? How did that
happen? Christ, he revealed Christ. He
set forth Christ to declare his righteousness. God set forth
the sin offering the Lord Jesus Christ to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, which
is Christ crucified. That he, that God, might be just. and the justifier. That he might
be the same God that said, you're excluded, and yet turn around
under the new covenant and say, come on in. Get in here. Get in my house. Of him which believeth in Jesus.
You outcasts from God who have never done anything good and
never will. Keep judgment and accomplish
righteousness. How? By Christ's righteousness
and redemption. Romans 3. That's the message
of the gospel. Verse 1 is the gospel. Come on
in. Do righteousness. We just read how that happens
in Romans 3. Verse 2, in our text, blessed
is the man that doeth this. This is what you have to do.
layeth hold on it, that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it,
and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." You can't do any evil
and come in my house. That's what has to be done and
we just read how you do it through Christ. Christ is how you do
it. How can you do enough to be this
guy in our text? It is enough that Jesus died,
that He died for me. Verse three, don't say you're
excluded. You see that? Neither let the son of the stranger
that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord
hath utterly separated me. Well, he did. But the thing is,
there's a way. There's the way that those banished
from the presence of God, from the commonwealth of his people,
those excluded can be taken in. Don't say that you're separated.
Neither let the eunuch say, I'm a dry tree. Don't say I'm barren, because
you're not. To be a eunuch and to be unable
to produce posterity, children, means that your name is going
to die out. And that was a big deal back then to them. Still
is to a lot of people. Oh, I got to have a son. Keep
the family name going, you know, that's a big deal to people.
The Lord said, I'll make you a name. You can't have any children? Oh, you'll have a name though.
You'll have an everlasting name that's better than if you had
sons or daughters. Did you see that part in the
text? It's better than that, verse
five. Being given a name by God, there's
a name that'll endure. You don't need to have sons and
daughters for that name. Now, remember the Ethiopian eunuch?
Don't say I'm a dry tree. Don't say that. Don't say I can't
produce any fruit. What's a dry tree? Like that
fig tree that our Lord cursed. There wasn't any figs on it.
That's a dry tree. It's a tree that can't produce
anything. And you can see why a eunuch might well say that.
But the Lord says, don't you say that. You're going to produce
fruit, the fruit of my spirit. You're gonna bring forth fruit
unto God. The Ethiopian eunuch. What was
God's message to that eunuch? Philip, you go preach to him.
What did he preach to him? He began at Isaiah 53 and preached
unto him Jesus. God revealed his righteousness. Like he said he would to that
eunuch. The righteousness of God in which
we can stand before God Almighty without ever having kept His
law. Stand righteous before a law which excludes us. That's the gospel. That was Paul's
message. And it's the message of Isaiah.
Notice in verses 4 and 6, that though in Christ Jesus we do
keep the covenant, since in our flesh we cannot keep a covenant
in the sense of fulfilling it by our own works or performance. So he doesn't say perform, although
that's fine too. He did say do justice, and we
have to in Christ. It can't be pasted on, can it?
We've got to truly be righteous before God, and that's by Christ
Jesus. But here it says lay hold of
it. Lay hold of my covenant. We're not the ones who perform
the covenant. We're not the ones who ratify
it. It's not yay and amen in us. We can lay hold of it in
Christ. We lay hold of him, you've laid
hold of God's covenant. That's what we do with regard
to the new covenant of grace. You see, we're covenant breakers. You know I like to pick on religion
a little bit. The promise keepers. Promise keepers can't be saved,
did you know that? You're gonna have to be a promise
breaker if you're ever gonna be saved. He didn't come to call
promise keepers. Just didn't. We're covenant breakers. Bless
God by his grace through faith we can lay hold of him who is
the fulfillment. of God's covenant of grace. Every promise God ever made to
a sinner is yes in Christ Jesus and amen. Now verse seven is
key, so let's spend a little bit of time in verse seven. Even them will I bring to my
holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer Their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar,
for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.
We just saw recently in our Luke study how the Lord quoted this
passage when he drove out the buyers and the sellers and the
money changers from his house. His house is the house of prayer,
and notice what happens there. We didn't look at this when we
were in Luke. But what happens in his house of prayer? An accepted
sacrifice is offered. That's what happens. See that
word for? Their burnt offerings and their
sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar for mine house,
shall be called in house of prayer. Under the old covenant, Those
acceptable sacrifices were shadows. Paul said none of them, all of
them put together could never take away a single sin. But the one that cast the shadow
is Christ. And under this new covenant,
he is that acceptable sacrifice. And we do offer him, don't we?
We say, Lord, God be propitious to me on the mercy seat. May
that precious blood be before you for me, that all my sins
might be washed away, that you might be just and justify this
wretch through that redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. And they will be joyful. I'll make them joyful in my house
of prayer. What? What? Why are we so joyful?
By the way, y'all don't look all that joyful tonight. I just
want to throw that out there. But you are on the inside. I
know. I don't always look joyful either. Bless God. Our hearts do burn within us,
don't they? Why? Because their burnt offerings
and their sacrifices are satisfactory. God is satisfied with us because
of the blood of his lamb. We rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh. Acceptable and well-pleasing
in the sight of God, and rejoicing in him. And he said, I will gather
others. Look at verse eight. Lord God,
which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith, yet will I
gather others to him besides those that are gathered unto
him. I believe we can say that tonight.
I believe that word is true tonight. Don't you? I believe he's going
to gather others that he, besides those that he's already gathered.
And I'm real thankful for that because there are some I want
to see gathered. I think if he had gathered all that were gonna
be gathered, we wouldn't be here. Pretty sure about that from his
word. And so he will gather yet others, and that's precious to
me. John 10, 15, and notice what
it said there to him. Where'd that come from in this
text? Well, it's been Christ all through, hasn't it? If you
just read it like a newspaper, then it's like, him, who's him?
It's been him since verse one, the first verse and first word,
hadn't it? Not just you compare scripture
to scripture, it's all him. The righteousness of God is him.
His justice is satisfied only in Christ. The strangers are
welcome in Christ Jesus. If I be lifted up, I'll draw
them to me, all men, all manner of men. To him, I'm gonna gather them
to him. John 10, 15, as the father knoweth me, even so know I the
father, and I lay down my life for the sheep, and other sheep
I have which are not of this fold. I believe we read this
this morning, but listen to this in regard to our text. I've got
other sheep that are not of this fold. Them
also I must bring. I must. And they shall hear my
voice. That's how he brings them. They
hear my voice and they follow me. They come, they come, they
come to him, but that's him bringing them. You can't come to me except
my father bring you. They shall hear my voice and
there'll just be one fold. That middle wall of partition
broken down. There's no Jew or Greek. One fold, one shepherd, Therefore
does my father love me Because I lay down my life that I might
take it again. I think about this for a second Therefore does my father love
me Because he laid down his life
for his sheep now, let me ask you this does God love you I If he does, why? Same reason. Because he laid
down his life for you. Have you ever thought about that? Did God send his son because
he loved us? Or does he love us because of
what Christ did? Is it the cause or the effect?
According to the word of God, it's both. Isn't it? I don't know of another
thing in the world, in the universe, ever, it defies logic for something
to be both cause and effect. But Christ crucified is both.
He so loved that he sent his son, right? That's why he sent
him, because he loved us. Well, why does he love us though? Because of what Christ did. It's
both. Christ is all. Christ crucified,
pictured in this beautiful ordinance. So simple, the world, how do
you mess that up? You'd be a sinner, that's how.
The world has messed it up, haven't they? But they ain't messed this
up. By the grace of God, we're just gonna simply eat some bread
and drink some wine and remember our Savior. By God's grace, that's
what we'll do. Well, let's...