Go with me, if you would, back
to Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. We are observing the
Lord's table tonight. And this is the ordinance that
the Lord gave to His people in place of the Passover. For all
those years, he told his people to observe the Passover. And
he said this due in remembrance. And our Lord ordained this the
night that he was betrayed. while he and his disciples were
observing the Passover. He told them to make a room ready,
they would observe the Passover. He said, with desire, I've desired
to observe this Passover with you, the last one. The last one that pictured what
was to come. The Old Testament believers,
when they observed their ordinance that was given to them, they
had a table, just like we have a table, and it had an actual
lamb slain on it. And what that was saying was,
this needs to happen. This must happen. If there's
any hope for us, this must happen. A lamb must be slain. That's
what it was saying. A lamb must be slain. Now in
the New Testament times, when we believers observe our ordinance,
we have a table, not with an actual lamb slain on it, but
with bread and wine saying it happened. The lamb was slain. They were
saying a lamb must be slain. And the Lord gave us this representing
the fact and remembering the fact this do in remembrance of
the fact that a lamb has already been slain. Our Lord said, eat this bread,
remembering my body that was broken for you. and drink this
wine, remembering my blood that was shed to pay all the debt
of your sin, all of it. So that's what this table is.
It is a remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ, our savior, God's
lamb, who was slain. And I want us to remember that
and remember him. As we look at each verse here
in Isaiah 55, we're just going to go through this chapter. And
that's what I want us to hold on to. As we look at this, I've
titled this message, the payment has already been made. That's
what this is. That's what it's saying. That's
what we're remembering. And that's the title of this
message. The payment has already been made. All right, with that
in our memory, let's read verse one. Isaiah 55, verse one says,
ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he
that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and
milk without money and without price. You know what that verse
is saying? The payment has already been
made. That's what it's saying. The payment has already been
made. That is the message of the gospel. That's the message
of the gospel. That is the good news of Christ
for centers, the payment. To God, the payment to the law,
the payment to judgment, the payment to death has already
been made. So verse one says, ho, and what
that means is alas, it means, listen, let this grab your attention. Who should let this grab their
attention? Who should listen to this? Who are you talking
to? Verse one says, everyone that
thirsteth. Everyone that thirsteth. I pray
God would give me a thirst. I pray God would give me a thirst.
Everyone that hungers and thirsts for Christ. Everyone that hungers and thirst
for a payment to be made on their behalf. Just think about that
for one minute. Do you crave a payment to God
to be made for your sin on your behalf with your name on it? Everyone that hungers and thirst
for a sacrifice that will actually satisfy God, actually appease
God. Everyone that hungers and thirst
for a covenant promise, a promise. Everyone who truly has that need. Verse one says, alas, listen
up. If you have a hungering, thirsting
need. Come, come, that need will be
freely filled. Verse one says, ho, everyone
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that has no money,
no spiritual money, come ye by and eat. Yea, come by wine and
milk. without money and without price. That's the gospel message throughout
the entire word, the whole word of God. Turn with me, if you
would, to Matthew chapter five. Matthew chapter five, verse six,
it says, Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Now, the first thing to notice
is anybody who hungers and thirsts after righteousness is blessed
of God. That's a blessed person. It is
the blessed gift of God if any of us hunger and thirst after
righteousness. And he said, all who do, They
shall be filled with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Blessed is that man or woman. If, if there is a hunger there,
our Lord said, open your mouth wide, spiritually speaking, I'll
fill it. Look with me, if you would, at
John seven. John 7 verse 37 says, In the last day, that great day
of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. What a moment. Can you imagine?
Wouldn't you love to have witnessed Him? Cry out, if any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. God has a particular people. Many are called, but few are
chosen. God has a particular chosen people
who he redeemed, chosen and redeemed. All of those people will be called. All of them will be called to
come. And do you know how he calls
his people? He gives them a thirst. That's
what he does. He gives them, this is how he
calls his people and draws his people. He puts a thirst in them
for the living water of Christ. He puts a hunger in them for
the heavenly bread of Christ. They, they want to feed on him. They want to be satisfied by
him. He puts a need in them for the soul cleansing blood of Christ.
He causes them to see their need. He causes them to see that this
is the only hope I have before God. I must come to him. I have to have Him. That's how
you know who God's people are. They have a need for Jesus Christ. They have a need for the body
that He broke on that cross in their place. They have a need
for the blood that He shed on that cross to cover their sin.
Head to toe, they have a need. And that's why it can be said,
if any man thirst, come. If any man thirst, If any man
has been given this, if any man has been caused to hunger, then
come. Because if God didn't put that
thirst and that hunger there, no man would come. It wouldn't
be there. They wouldn't come. So that's his doing. And he gets
that glory for it. And therefore the word goes out,
ho everyone that thirsteth come by. Eat without money, without price. It's all free. It's all free. Now, why is it all free? You
know, we talk about free grace, free salvation. Why is it all free? It's because
an infinite price was paid. It's because, uh, a value that
no man could possibly understand was paid. The payment has already
been made. Look to the lamb of God. Turn
your eyes upon him in remembrance of that. Turn with me, if you
would, to revelation 22. Revelation 22 verse 16 says,
I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the offspring
of David, and the bright and morning star, and the spirit
and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say,
come. And let him that is a thirst
come. and whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. I pray that we might understand
that in the remembrance of this. I pray we might understand that.
If God has given us a need for Christ, come, come, come to the
Lord Jesus Christ. God's people are the only souls
on earth who have been made willing To take the water of life freely.
The only ones outside of Christ, man cannot take it freely. Man will not have it freely. He will not. He believes he must
make a payment for it. That's where, that's where every
man or woman starts. I have to make a payment for
this. It's where everybody starts. I have to make my own payment
for this man spends his whole life trying to earn enough value
to make his own payment to God for this, not realizing that
God will not accept another payment than this right here. He will
not accept it. If he did, it would make the
payment that his precious son made void. It would make it. worthless,
in vain. He said the water of life comes
freely to sinners or it doesn't come at all. But if you and I
have been made willing, willing to freely receive the full payment
that Christ has already made, then he said, take all you want.
All the refreshing you want, all the filling you want, And God's people say, Lord, how
much will you give? How much will you give? I told
you this a long time ago, but when Isabella was very young,
she, We were at the table, and she used to reach and grab too
much food. She'd just pile it and pile it,
and we'd tell her, honey, that's too much. That's just too much.
And we sat down at the table one time, and she just held her
plate out next to something she liked, and she said, I want too
much. And I pray the Lord will let
me say that. Lord, I want too much. Fill me, let my cup run
over. Lord, you said I could have it
freely. You said I could eat this heavenly bread. I want my
soul to be full. Whether my bank account is full,
whether this life is full, I want my soul to be full. And I want
my soul to be refreshed. Lord, let me drink in the gospel. Let me drink in the word. He
said, if you have a need, if the Lord puts a real, honest
awareness and need in you for that, he said, I'll fill you.
Take all you want. You want Christ, take all you
want. Take too much. Take more than you'll ever hold. Go with me back to Isaiah 55. In remembrance of the fact that
the payment has already been made, verse one says, ho, everyone
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money,
come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without
money and without price. Wherefore do you spend money
for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which
satisfieth not, hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which
is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." What is good? God is good. Christ is good. His eternal salvation is good. What is fatness? His gospel is
fatness. His word is fatness. Marrow, the scripture calls it.
Meat, the scripture calls it. Look with me over at Jeremiah
31. Just a few pages over to Jeremiah
31. This is a wonderful portion here.
Jeremiah 31 verse 10 says, hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations,
and declare it in the isles afar off and say, he that scattered
Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock. For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob,
and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than
he. Therefore, they shall come and sing in the height of Zion
and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord for wheat
and for wine and for oil and for the young of the flock and
of the herd. And their soul shall be as a
watered garden and they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice
in the dance, both young men and old together. For I will
turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make
them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate, I'll satisfy. the soul of the priest with fatness,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord."
They'll all be satisfied. They'll all be filled. Come and dine. If that is appetizing
to you, he says, come and dine. If we hunger for that, if we
thirst for that, come and dine. Go with me back to Isaiah 55. Verse three says, incline your
ear and come unto me here and your soul shall live. Incline your ear and here. What are we listening for? What
will be told to us? The payment has already been
made. already been made. Verse three says, incline your
ear and come unto me, here and your soul shall live and I will
make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies
of David. I'll promise you, he says, incline
your ear and listen to me and I'll make a promise to you. I'll
make a covenant with you that the payment has already been
made. Verse four says, behold, I have given him Christ for a
witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation
that thou knowest not. and nations that knew not thee
shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the
Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee." Now that's an
amazing statement. He hath glorified thee. Whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate. And whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. and whom he called, them he also
justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified with him. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. all of the called according to
his purpose. How shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justified us. It's Christ that died, yea rather
that is risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. The payment has already been
made. Verse four says, behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander
to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation
that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run
unto thee because of the Lord thy God and for the Holy One
of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. So verse six says, seek
ye the Lord while he may be found. Call you upon him while he is
near. I want everyone to listen to that. Ho, ho. Seek the Lord while he may be
found. If God has given you a heart,
seek him. If God has not given you a heart,
beg him for one. Seek the Lord while he may be
found. Don't let it go in one ear and
out the other. Don't miss Christ. Don't go stand
before God outside of this promised covenant of his son. Seek the
Lord while he may be found. Call you upon him while he is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way,
his works and the unrighteous man, his thoughts. and let him
return unto the Lord. And he will have mercy upon him
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Why will God do that? Why will he have mercy? Really? Why will he have mercy? Why will
he abundantly pardon sinners like us? Why will he do that?
It's because the price has already been paid. That's the reason
why. The price of mercy, the price
of pardon, the price of redemption has already been paid. Verse
8 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the Lord. We see that in the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Clearly, his thoughts are not
our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. Verse
nine says, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts. We clearly see that in the sacrifice of the Lord
Jesus Christ. No man, no mortal sinful man
could have designed the perfect redemption that God did in the
sacrifice of his son. Verse 10 says, For as the rain
cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth in bud, that it
may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall
my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall
prosper in the thing where to I sent it. The message of the
gospel of Christ crucified will go out and it will reach the
hearts and souls of his people. Honestly, let's beg God to let
us be those people. It is going to go out. And it
is going to reach the hearts of his people. Lord, let it be
me. Let it reach mine. Let me be
one of your people. It's gonna call all those people
to him. They're gonna see their need.
They're gonna see their remedy. It's gonna accomplish the purpose
for which he sent it. And verse 12 says, you shall
go out with joy. and be led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills shall
break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hand." Through this message, because of this
sacrifice, the Lord is going to gather his people to himself.
He's going to carry us out. We're going to go out with joy.
We're going to be led forth with peace. And then forever with him, verse
13 says, instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree and
instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree. And what
that means is there's not going to be any more sin. Why? Because the price for sin has
already been paid. And it shall be to the Lord for
a name, for an everlasting sign, that it shall not be cut off.
For the rest of our days in eternity, we're gonna cry, thank God the
price has already been paid. Thank God the price has already
been paid by our Savior, paid in full. Paid on the cross of Calvary.
paid by the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God. In observing this,
this table is for God's people. who are seeking Christ, mercy
in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in taking this, this
is not a component of salvation. All we're doing is remembering
the fact that the price has already been paid. That's all we're doing. All who have been given a heart
to remember that let's take this together. All right. Let's remember
this together. All right, brother, Bob coffee,
you come and read for us.