and let's find Isaiah 56 Isaiah
56 And let's look unto the Lord
to bless his word unto our heart this morning. In Isaiah 56, there's
a statement found two times. I pointed it out when I read
through it a moment ago. Found in verse four, the last
part of verse four, take hold, God says, thus saith the Lord. He said, take hold of my covenant,
my covenant. Again, down in verse 6, he says,
these who have joined themselves to the Lord that serve Him, that
love Him, he said, they taketh hold of my covenant. They keep on taking hold, taking
hold, laying hold on God's covenant. His covenant of grace. So I'm
entitling the message found in those words, take hold, take
hold of the covenant. Take hold of the covenant. Now,
if you look this word up, take hold, even though it appears
as two words in our English, in the original, it's one word.
It means to seize. It means to fasten upon. Like
you take hold of something and not let go. Take hold of it. It's like a death grip. It's to cleave to something with
all your self. Cleave unto the Lord. Look at verse three, it says, that layeth hold. upon him that
had joined himself unto the Lord. Verse 2 is the one I want. Blessed
is the man that doeth this and the son of man that layeth hold,
taketh hold, layeth hold upon the covenant. Now the covenant
here is just not a piece of paper. This covenant here is just not
some material thing. This covenant here that he's
telling us to take hold upon, to lay hold upon, that will keep
us, save us, justify us, is none other than a person. The Lord
Jesus Christ, the messenger of the covenant, the Savior of the
Covenant, the sacrifice of the Covenant, the surety of the Covenant,
that's ordered in all things and is sure. You see, this is
what faith does. It takes hold of Christ. This
is what faith is. Faith cleaves unto the Lord Jesus
Christ. And it does so in a violent way. Violent way. Preacher, what do
you mean? Turn over here, save your place there in Matthew,
Isaiah 56, turn to Matthew 11. Saving faith takes a hold and
lays hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ in a violent way. In a
violent way, what do you mean? Look what it says here. Matthew
11, verse 12. Have you ever noticed
this? I know some of you have, because we've studied all the
way through the book of Matthew, but some of you were not here
in those days. Matthew 11 verse 12, and from
the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven
suffered violence, was gotten by force. And the violent take
it, they take it by force. Saving faith, and here's what
that's saying. Saving faith must have Christ. Must have, at all expense, violently
get everything else out of the way. Lay hold upon the Lord Jesus
Christ. Take hold. upon this covenant
of grace in Christ Jesus. This is exactly what the Apostle
Paul says in Philippians 3 when he says, I count all things else,
all things else as loss, rubbish, that I may win Christ and be
found in him, take hold of him, lay hold upon him. You see what
I'm saying? Lay hold upon the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now who says so? Who says so? Look at verse 1, Isaiah 56, thus
saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. Thus saith
the Lord. Who is this Lord? Capital L,
capital O, capital R, capital D. Did you notice that? Lord. Jehovah is what the word is. Jehovah. Jehovah is Almighty. The Almighty, Self-existent,
Sovereign, Eternal God. God our Savior. Thus saith the
Lord. He says, take hold of my covenant. That's what God says. The Lord
Jesus Christ is our Jehovah. As a matter of fact, some of
the old writers, you know what they called Him? Jehovah Jesus. That's not
a bad phrase. God my Savior, who is my Savior?
Jehovah Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
Jehovah, for we worship Him as God, don't we? We receive Him
as God, don't we? We bow before Him and worship
Him as God our Savior. In John 13, when the Lord gathered
with His disciples to wash their feet, the apostles, He said,
You call me Master and Lord, And you say, well, for so I am. I'm your Lord. I am your master. I like the confession of Thomas.
Well, my name is Thomas, Thomas Allen. And I like the confession
of Thomas the Apostle. His confession and my confession
are one and the same. You remember the confession of
the Apostle Thomas? When the Lord revealed himself
unto him, he said, my Lord, and my God." That's whom we worship
today. Now, what I want to try to do
today is glean some gospel nuggets from verses 1 down to verse 8,
and pray that the Lord will bless His Word and our understanding
that we might learn more of Christ, the gospel of Christ. Isn't that
why you're here today? Did you come here to learn of
Him? I trust that's why you're here,
to learn of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said, take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and
you shall find rest. You want rest? Take, there's
that word again, take it, take it, lay hold on it, take my yoke,
take it, lay hold on it, and learn of me. Take it, violently
take it. I must have Christ. I must have
his word. Oh, that we might worship him
and learn of him as he's revealed in a word. Now the Lord says,
look at verse one. Here's what the Lord says unto
us. Keep ye judgment. What is judgment? It's his word.
Keep my word, and do this word here, justice is righteousness.
Keep my word, obey my word, and do righteousness, for my salvation
is near to come, and my righteousness is to be revealed. The Lord says
unto us here, keep the word. Keep my word, receive my word.
His word is the word of truth, and that'll bring us to this,
justice, righteousness in Christ. He said, my salvation is near,
and my righteousness will be revealed." Where is salvation
revealed? In His Word. What does the Word
talk about? His righteousness. What is that
all about? The Lord Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. The Word of Truth. The Bible
that you hold in your hand. Do you realize what you have
in your hand? That's just not the word of men. That is not
just the word of, that's the word of God, the word of truth.
The very inspired, God-breathed word of the Lord. And as such,
we receive it not as a word of men, but as it is in truth, the
word of God that does what? Effectually worketh in you that
believe. That's 1 Thessalonians 2, 13.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God. and it is profitable. It is good for us. His Word reveals
unto us the way of salvation. Remember? Let's see if we can
find it. Back in Isaiah 45, His Word revealed,
He said, My salvation is near, near to come. The Savior, the
Lord Jesus, His Word reveals unto us the way of salvation.
Isaiah 45, 16, they shall be ashamed and also confounded,
all of them, they shall go to confusion together that are makers
of idols. But Israel shall be saved in
the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be confounded
or ashamed, word without end. Look at verse 22 of Isaiah 45. He said, look unto me and be
ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there
is none else. His Word reveals the way of salvation. Neither is there salvation in
any other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And His Word certainly
reveals a way of righteousness, doesn't it? Turn to Isaiah 46. Paul said in Romans 1, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God and
the salvation to everyone that believe it. For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed, In Isaiah 46, look at verse 13. Bring near my righteousness.
It shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry.
I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory, his righteousness,
and his salvation. Now turn to Isaiah 53. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. Verse 10 of Isaiah 53, he shall
see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge,
shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their
iniquities. He is the just God and savior. Back to Isaiah 56. So keep his
word. Keep His Word, believe His Word,
receive His Word, and do righteousness, believing Him. For my salvation
is near to come and my righteousness shall be revealed. Now look at
verse two, Isaiah 56. Blessed is the man that thinks
about this. No, the man who actually does
this. that keeps His Word, that believes
His Word, that lays hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed
is the man that believes and trusts in the Lord. Blessed is
the man that doeth this, and a son of man that layeth hold
on it. Salvation and righteousness,
as it's revealed in the Word, that keepeth my Sabbath. from
polluting it, that keepeth his hand from doing any any evil. Blessed is a man that doeth this.
You remember what it says in the book of James? Not only to
be a hearer of the word, let's turn over and read that. Not
only to be a hearer of the word, I believe that's James chapter
1 isn't it? Not only to be a hearer of the word, but to be a doer
of the word. In James chapter 1. We're not
only to hear the Word of God, keep the Word of God, receive
the Word of God, but how about obedience unto God's Word? You know, saving faith is obedient
unto the Word of the Lord. In James chapter 1, look at verse
18. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, James
1, 18, that we should be the kind of first fruits of his creatures.
Wherefore, my beloved, Brethren, let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not
work the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness. Receive with meekness the engrafted
word which is able to save your souls. Be ye doers of the word. Not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves. For if any man be a hearer of
the word and not a doer of the word, he's like a man beholding
his natural face in a glass. You look in a mirror. For he
beholdeth himself and goeth his way, he turns and straightway
he forgets what manner of man he is. Let's not only hear the word
of God, let us by faith obey the word of God. Two things are
mentioned here. To be a doer of the word, blessed
is the man that layeth hold on his word. Talking about the written
word, talking about the preached word, talking about the incarnate
word. His word is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.
Two things are mentioned here. Laying hold on his word and keeping
and receiving his word will do. that keepeth the Sabbath from
polluting it, that keepeth his hand from doing evil. Those who
lay hold upon the word of truth, I think this is evident of those
who do. It'll keep us from polluting
the Sabbath. Now what's he talking about here? He's not talking
about a Sabbath day. We don't set aside a day and
try to be holy in that day and say we're holy because we don't
do certain things on a certain day. That's not what he's saying
here. The Lord Jesus Christ in this
covenant of grace, He is our Sabbath rest. Keeping His Word,
receiving His Word, laying hold upon His Word will constantly
keep us looking unto the Lord Jesus Christ who honored the
Law of God for us and fulfilled the Law of God for us. Turn to
Romans chapter 3. That's how we keep the Sabbath. That's how we honor the Law of
God, by resting in Christ. Therefore we conclude, Romans
3, 28, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing
as one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, the
uncircumcision to Jew or Gentile through faith in Christ, do we
make void the law through faith? God forbid. But what it says,
we establish the law. We honor the law. How does faith
establish the law? What is faith? Where does faith
look unto? Christ, what did He do? He honored
the law on every jot and tittle. As a matter of fact, it says
in Isaiah 42, remember? He magnified the law, honored
the law, exalted the law, and He did that as a representative
man, representing us, imputing and giving to us that blessed
obedience, His righteousness, by grace alone. It'll keep us
from polluting the Sabbath. It'll keep us constantly looking
to the Lord Jesus Christ who honored the law. You know how
we would pollute the Sabbath? By trying to keep the day, we'd
pollute it. The Word of God points us to
Christ, our Sabbath rest. Read Hebrew chapter 4. Christ
is our Sabbath rest. It'll keep us from putting our
hand to doing evil. See what it says there? This
is a blessed man. But doeth this, he won't pollute
the Sabbath. He won't put his hand to evil.
Now what do you mean here? He'll keep us from putting our
hand to doing that which is contrary to the gospel of Christ. He'll
keep us from trusting something other than the Lord Jesus Christ
alone for all salvation. He'll keep us busy looking to
Him. See what he's saying there? It'll keep us busy looking to
Him. It'll cause us to set our heart, our affection on things
above, not on the things of this earth. Now let's look at verse
3. We want to consider verse 3,
4, and 6 together. Under this heading, let us never
despair of the grace of God. For we were one time, as it says
in verse 3, strangers. Strangers. We were one time,
as this eunuch, a dry tree, fruitless, lifeless. But now by His grace,
we've taken hold of the covenant of grace. Verse 6, the strangers
joined themselves to serve the Lord, to love the Lord, to keep
the Sabbath from polluting it, to take hold of His covenant.
Now let's consider a few things here. One time, One time, believers
were estranged from the grace of God. We were strangers from
the covenants of grace. Aliens and strangers, it says
in, you remember Ephesians chapter 2 verse 12? That one time we
were without Christ, without hope, without grace, strangers
and aliens from the blessing of the covenant of the gospel
of God's grace. We were Gentiles without God and without Christ
and without hope. Children of wrath even as others.
But now in Christ Jesus, we've been made nigh by the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We have joined ourselves unto
the Lord. Our heart, how do we join ourselves
unto the Lord? Our heart has been united unto
the Lord by this union, this vital union of faith. That's how we join ourselves
unto the Lord. Now let's consider several things
under this head. First of all, we see in verse
4 that believers choose the things that please Him. Let's not say the Lord hath utterly
forsaken me, as it says in verse 3. Neither let the son of the
stranger that had joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, The
Lord has separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuch
say, Behold, I'm a dry, fruitless, barren tree. That's not true
of the believer. For thus saith the Lord unto
the eunuch that keep my covenant, my Sabbath, and they choose those
things that please me, they take hold of the covenant. Now let's
consider several things. This phrase here that's found
in verse four. They choose the things that please
me. Believers make a choice of things
that please God. What is this? Turn to Hebrews
chapter 11. Believers make a conscious choice
of things that please God. Remember what the Joshua that
said, after me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord. We're
gonna serve the Lord. How do we choose those things
that please, God says, these believers here that have joined
themselves to the Lord, they choose those things that please
me. Hebrews chapter 11, look at verse
six. but without faith it is impossible
to please him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. You see, those that are without
faith are those who are without Christ. Those who are without
Christ are those who are without God. The only person that pleases
God and satisfies all that he requires is the Lord Jesus Christ. God is pleased with him. Believers
make a conscious choice of faith that looks unto Christ, the Lord
Jesus Christ. God is only pleased with Him
and we choose the things that please Him. What pleases God
Almighty? The Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks
from heaven and said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well. What's the word? I'm well pleased. God is pleased with those in
Christ Jesus. These who are blessed of God,
these who are blessed to take hold of the covenant, to lay
hold of the covenant, to believe His Word and to do His Word,
those who are blessed of God, they consciously choose the things
that please God Almighty. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ,
all He is and all that He has done. Secondly, in verses 4 and
verse 6, this statement is found two times. Believers do willingly
made willing in the day of God's power, believers do willingly
take hold of the covenant. You see that in verse 4. You
see that again in verse 6. And they continue. They continue
to take, taketh hold, taketh hold. As I've often said, faith
is not an isolated experience. Faith keeps looking to Christ.
Faith keeps coming to Christ. Faith keeps taking hold, taking
hold, taking hold of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers do willingly
take hold of the covenant grace by his grace they keep on taking
hold of it they embrace the Lord Jesus Christ by faith who is
a surety of the covenant of grace look right across the page Isaiah
54 verse 10 The mountains shall depart and
the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from
thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith
the Lord. I want to take hold of that covenant
that will never be removed. never be abolished, the eternal
covenant of grace. Right across the page there in
Isaiah 55 verse 3, incline your ear, come unto me here and your
soul shall live and I'll make an everlasting covenant with
you, even the sure mercies of David. Believers do willingly
embrace the surety of the covenant by faith and that is none other,
no more, no less. than the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Secondly, they embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as a sacrifice of
the covenant. The sacrifice of the covenant.
God of peace, brought again from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ
through the blood of the everlasting covenant. They embrace and they
look to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher
of our faith. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us
from all sin. We embrace the surety of the
covenant. We embrace Christ who is the
sacrifice of the covenant. We embrace the Lord Jesus Christ
and we come to him through the mediator of the covenant. Now
who's the mediator of the covenant? You remember 1 Timothy 2? One
God, one mediator between God and men, that is the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ. They take hold of this covenant.
They regard all the promises of the covenant, all the blessings
of the covenant as certain and sure. All the promises of God
in Him are what? You know, maybe the promises
of God will be done, maybe they won't. All that God has spoken,
not one word will fall. All the promises of God in Him
are yes. And in him, amen, unto the glory
of God by Christ Jesus. You know that's what the scripture
teaches, 2 Corinthians 1.21. You see, faith lives on the promise
of God. Like David of old, by faith he
laid hold on this covenant, his last words on his dying bed,
would God have made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things, and is sure, this is all my hope, in all my salvation. Believers have not only joined
themselves unto the Lord, and they take hold of this covenant
of grace. But it says in verse 6 of Isaiah 56, the sons of strangers
that joined themselves to the Lord. You know what it says here? Why they do that? They serve
Him. They serve Him. They love the name of the Lord,
to be His servants. They will not pollute the Sabbath.
They will not pollute the Gospel. They take hold of this covenant
of grace. You know, God's servants, God's people, they delight to
serve the Lord. They delight to be His servants.
They take their place as a willing, loving, bond-servant unto the
Lord Himself. As the Apostle Paul, oftentimes
when he writes his epistles, he said, Paul, a servant, of
the Lord." That's a high title, to be a servant of the Lord. They serve Him. You know why
they serve Him? Look what it says there. They choose Him. They join themselves to Him.
They lay hold on Him to serve Him. And they do all that because
they love the name of the Lord. They love the name of the Lord.
God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every
name. Do you love the name of the Lord? I mean, God as he's revealed
in the scripture, high and holy and lifted up and eternal. Do
you love the name of the Lord? Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Sidcanu,
Jehovah Shema, Jehovah Rea, the Lord my shepherd, the Lord my
righteousness, the Lord who will provide for us, the Lord my shepherd. They love him and they love the
name of the Lord, they love to serve him. We love him. Why do we love him? Why do we take hold on him? Why
do we receive him and love him and serve him? We love him because
he first loved us. We lay hold upon him, you know
why? He has lay hold upon us. That's right. Now let's consider,
in closing, the blessings of the covenant of grace that are
given to us here in verse five and verse seven. The blessings
of the covenant of grace. All blessed is that man that
doeth this. Are you a doer? Are you a doer? Have you by faith lay hold upon
the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you joined yourself unto
the Lord? Here's the fruit and the blessings
of the covenant found here in verse 5, 7, and verse 8. Look
at verse 5. He said, even unto them, unto
them now, unto them will I give my house. My house, I'll give
them my house. with walls and a place and a
name better than sons and of daughters. I'll give them an
everlasting name that shall never be cut off." He says, I'm going
to make them part of my household. I will give them, I will, even
unto them, he said, I'll give in my house, my house. Now turn
to Ephesians chapter 2. This house here, verse 7, is
called the house of prayer. Now it's not talking about a
physical building. It's the church of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's His bodies. It's members,
members of His family being one with His body, His church. He's
called out. Ephesians chapter 2, look what
it says in verse 19. Now therefore you are no more
strangers, you're no more foreigners, fellow citizens, but with the
saints. With the saints. You're part
of the household of God. The household of God. Members
of His body and of His family. Look at Ephesians chapter 3 verse
6. that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs of the same body, partakers of His promise in the Gospel,
promise in Christ by the Gospel. I want to read this reference,
turn over here to Hebrew chapter 3. His household, being a member
of His household, being an heir of God and a joint heir with
Christ Jesus, Ephesians or rather this is Hebrew chapter 3 verse
6. But Christ as a son over his
own house, whose household are we if we hold steadfast? Hold fast to the confidence and
rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. Whose household are we if
we hold fast? There's that same word again.
Take hold. Take hold of the covenant. Lay hold upon Christ. Now, look
back to Isaiah 56 again. Verse 5, here's the second thing.
These are blessings of the covenant. He'll make us a member of the
family. Secondly, he says, I'll give
them a better name. You see that? Not just sons and
daughters of Adam. I'm gonna give them a special
name. I'm gonna give them an everlasting name. that will never
be cut off. I'll give them a better name.
I'll give them an everlasting name that will never change.
He'll never kick us out of the family. What is this name? Let's see if we can find out.
Turn over here to Revelation chapter 2. This name. This name. He's given us a name. A new name. An everlasting name.
You know, it's a whole lot like His name. Matter of fact, His
name and our name are the same. We're married to Him. When a
woman marries a man, she takes his name. Look what it says,
Revelation 2 verse 17. He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh
will I give to eat the hidden manna, and will give him a white
stone, and in that stone a new name written. which no man knoweth,
save he that receiveth that name." It's the name of Christ. Revelation
3, 12, turn there. Him that overcometh will I make
a pillar in the temple of my God. There's that house of God.
And he shall go out no more. I'll write upon him the name
of my God. The name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem,
cometh down out of heaven from God, and I'll write upon him
my new name. New name. Turn to Revelation
14, one. This is a name given of God. Being made new creatures in Christ
Jesus. Being sealed with God's name
upon our forehead. Revelation 14, 1, and I looked,
and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having
his father's name written in their forehead. Forehead. Revelation 22, turn over there.
Revelation 22, verse 4. And they shall see his face,
Look at verse 3, let's read that too. There shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and
His servant shall serve Him, and they shall see His face,
and His name shall be in their head, their forehead. Christ
in you, the hope of glory. So He put us in His house. We're
of His household. He's given us a better name.
Our name in Adam was cursed and ruined, depraved. Our name in
Christ is blessed, Saint of God, a Redeemer. We are married to
the Lord Jesus Christ. And our name is the same as His
name. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor of the Everlasting
God, the Prince of Peace. And that's the believer in Christ
Jesus. Thirdly, look at verse 7. He
said, even them will I bring, them will I bring, Then I will
bring to my holy mountain, and I'll make them joyful. I'll make
them joyful in my house, my house of prayer. And their burnt offerings,
their worship, and their sacrifices shall be accepted, accepted upon
the altar, Christ crucified. And my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all people. He said, I'll bring them unto
my holy mountain. Now, hear this. We'll never lay
hold, not truly, not by God-given faith until the Lord gives us
faith, until the Lord grants us faith. Our Lord said, no man
can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the just one who died for the unjust that
he might bring us unto God. How does he bring us unto himself?
How does he draw us unto himself to cause us to violently take
hold on him? to violently receive him. How
does he do this? He makes himself altogether lovely. He makes himself so attractive,
so beautiful, so glorious that we must have him. And faith violently
lays hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy people shall be willing
in the day of God's power. He loved us with an everlasting
love, therefore with loving kindness, with loving kindness, He draws
us unto Himself. And when He draws us, we come. We lay hold upon Him. We take
hold of the covenant of grace. Now look at verse 8. Here's the
fourth thing. The Lord God, which gathereth
the outcast of Israel. Yet will I gather others to him
besides those that are gathered unto him." Now, turn to John
chapter 10. And here's the fulfillment of
what's being said right there. John chapter 10. The Lord said,
I'm gonna gather them. I'm gonna gather them. The Lord will gather the outcasts
of Israel. Yet he said, I'll gather others
to him besides those that are gathered unto him. Look at John
10 verse 15. As the Father knoweth me, even
so know I the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep. And here's these others that he will gather. Not only
his elect among the Jews, but his elect among the Gentiles.
Other sheep have I, I have which are not of this fold, not of
this tribe, not of this nation. Them also I must bring, they
shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. One fold and one shepherd. Notice carefully who does the
gathering. Verse 8 again. Isaiah 56, notice
carefully who does the gathering. The Lord God which gathereth. Who does the gathering? The Lord
does the gathering. The Lord does gather us. Turn
back to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Here's why he gathers
us. Here's why he brings us unto
himself and here's why we take hold on him. Isaiah 43, look
at verse 4. Since thou was precious in my
sight, thou has been honorable. I've loved thee, therefore will
I give men for thee, and people for your life. Spare no expense.
Fear not, verse 5, Isaiah 43, I am with thee, I'll bring thy
seed from the east, gather thee from the west, I'll say to the
north, give up, to the south, keep not back, bring my sons
from far, my daughters from the ends of the earth, bring them,
gather them, Everyone is called by my name, for I have created
him for my glory. I have formed him, yet I have
made him. Bring him. He's precious to me.
You see, he's going to gather the outcasts, that the outcasts
cast out. He's going to gather those unto
himself. So, in closing, look at verse
3. Let us never say then, let us
never say, The Lord hath utterly forsaken
me. The Lord hath utterly separated
me from His people. He will not do it. He will not
do it. Listen to this scripture, John
chapter 6. All that the Father hath given to me, they will come
to me. And those that come to me, I
will, I will, what? I will in no way cast them out. Our Lord said many times through
the scriptures, Old Testament and New, I will never leave you,
nor forsake you. No, never will I do it. Let us never say that we are
a dry tree, not in Christ. Let us never say that we are
barren and fruitless, not in the Lord Jesus Christ. For we
are trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. We are
blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. Turn to Psalm 92. Psalm 92. Let us never say that
we're barren and fruitless. Not in Christ. Now in Adam that's
true, but not in Christ Jesus. In Him was all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily and we're complete in Him. Of His fullness
have we all received grace for grace. Psalm 92. The righteous shall flourish
like a palm tree. Remember, believers are called
trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. The righteous shall
flourish like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in
Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord. Remember,
He's going to put us in His household. Those that be planted in the
house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They
shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing,
even in old age. As his body wrinkles and decays,
we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
old man perishes, doesn't it? But the inward man is renewed
day by day. They shall still bring forth
fruit. What is this fruit? What is the fruit of the Spirit?
Love, joy, peace. Long-suffering, gentleness, meekness,
temperance, faith, these things. To show that the Lord is upright.
He is my rock. And there is no unrighteousness
in Him. What a blessing to be gathered
unto the Lord. What a blessing to take hold
of the covenant of grace. To lay hold upon the Lord Jesus
Christ. To be given God-given faith that
violently acts upon Christ. What a blessing to keep taking
hold of the covenant of the gospel as it says in verse 6. How do
we take hold of the covenant? By faith. And you know what that
causes us to do? It causes us to let go of the
covenant of works and look to Christ. Look to Christ.