Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me again to Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55. Let's look at verses 4 and 5
and ask our Lord's blessing. 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." We ask you to bless these words
to our hearts, for Christ's sake. Amen. In this blessed chapter, Isaiah
55, there's some precious promises that are given to those who the
Lord has made to hunger. He said, incline your ear, and
only a believer can do that, will do that. Hear, and your
soul shall live. Lives now, it shall live. Never
die. I give unto them eternal life. Those that have been made willing
to come to Christ, They stumble. They see, as Brother Jeff just
read, spoke of, they see the frailty of their repentance.
They grieve over it. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. They hear the words of the Master.
Come unto me, and I will make evident to you an everlasting
covenant, the sure presence of David." That was David, King
David. He said, this is all my salvation.
This is what David rested in. David rested in the one in whom
he was a picture. This is all my hope. This is
all my salvation. He has made with me an everlasting
covenant. Now our Father, speaking under
the inspiration of God's Spirit through the hand of Isaiah the
prophet, says in verse 4, Behold, again take note, listen, I have
given him, or we could stop right there for a minute, I've given
him, I've given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a
commander to the people. All of the blessings of God,
all that which Almighty God is everlastingly purposed to do.
How are we going to know it? How? How are we going to understand
How are we going to know that Almighty God has purposed to
save a people that shall surely be saved? How do we know? How are we going to know? I've given Him for a witness. The Word Himself made God, the Word was God, and the
Word was made flesh. And he came into this world, and he was the one as the witness. God's prophet,
that's what he's got as a prophet. And this is what we know concerning
Almighty God. God has a people. And you start to think, how can
I stand here and say that? How can I stand here and say
that Almighty God everlastingly purposed to show mercy? How can I say that God Almighty
before the foundation of the world chose, number one, to set
his love and affection. He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love. How would I know that God Almighty
chose a people and gave them to the Son, and that the Son
has the surety, the one that has ever stood for the sheep,
that Almighty God everlastingly never looked at sheep to answer. Never, never. He looked to the surety. He looked
to His Son and trusted Him everlastingly, and having seen from before the
foundation of the world, the Lamb slain, and satisfying God
Almighty. And God Almighty, who trusted
in His Son first, justified freely by His grace, not guilty. He saw the Everlastingly, you say it happened
in time. I agree with you. That's not
where it started. How would I know that God has
a people in every nation, and kindred, and tribe, and tongue,
and that God Almighty is certainly going to call them out? I believe
that God's going to bless this message today. How do you know
God's going to bless it? He said, My word will not return
unto me void. He said that in Isaiah 55. We'll look at that next week.
But I tell you this, I've got God's word on this. God's going
to save His people. I believe He's going to bless
this message today. I expect Almighty God's going to do that
which He said He's going to do. I expect Him. I expect Him. I expect whenever God's pleased
to allow us the privilege to put an article in the newspaper,
I expect that God's going to bless that mark. I expect it. Why? He said it was going to
be a factual. It shall accomplish the purpose
for which it was sent. How do I know that? The witness
said it. I have given him as a witness God's witness. He has set forth
all the truth of God, everything that we need to know concerning
God Almighty. The witness is set forth. The
Word I've given Him. And that witness is confirmed
to us by the Holy Spirit. His witness, Romans 8.16. I mean,
His Spirit bear witness to our spirit that we're the sons of
God. How can you believe that? God
told me. Paul says, I'm persuading. I'm persuading. He's able. I
know when I believe. He'll keep that which I've committed
unto Him by the grace of God. I've committed my eternal soul
to Him by God's grace. I've given Him for a witness
to the people. and a leader and a commander
to the people. I need one to guide me. I need a leader. That's what
the word leader there is insinuating. One that directs. One that orders. One that moves. We've been predestinated I told
you that, that word predestinate, the destination before Him. Almighty
God has predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus
Christ to Himself. Predestinated us that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love. Can you imagine
that Almighty God would make One such as I am, holy. The question's been asked many times,
how holy does one have to be to be found in heaven? As holy
as God. As holy as God. As holy as God. As He is. robed in His righteousness, we
are before God Almighty in Him, holy and without blame. How do you know that? The witness
told me. The witness told me. He who is
the leader, the director, And he's kept by the power of
God. David said, he restoreth my soul and he leadeth me in
the paths of righteousness. Why? For his name's sake. Oh, there's coming a time, my
friend, when he shall say, Father, behold, I am the child that thou
hast given me. sound life, joy, peace. Lead me, Psalm 5a, O Lord, in
thy righteousness, because of mine enemies make thy way straight
before my face. I've given him as a witness,
as a leader, And look at this word, commander. What's the difference between
a leader and a commander? Well, they're all, they're one
person. Here's what the word commander says for it. One that
is able, able to overcome. One that's able. He leads his
people. I'll tell you this, before he
calls you out of darkness, You were, as we said a few minutes
ago, just like all the children of wrath, haters of God. But when he spoke like he spoke
to Matthew, what did he do? He said, follow me. There's the
commander. There's the word. There's the
effectual word. There's the Lord of glory. Follow
me. And then he leads God's direction. I have given him as a witness
and a leader and a commander to the people. Behold! Now he
speaks to the Lord himself. God had just spoken to his people.
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader,
commander to the people. Now he speaks to the Lord himself.
Listen to the words of the Father to the Son. It is marvelous that
the Spirit of God would allow us to read this. Here is what
he said to the Son. 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." A nation that the Lord
knew not? He who is omniscient, who knows
all things, a nation that What does that mean? What do you mean a nation that
he knew not? Well, we know that it does not
mean a nation that he was ignorant of. Here's what it's being said.
A nation made up of those who were not openly regarded to be
your people. The Jews had God's Word in Christ. To themselves, they thought,
we're the only ones. It's just us. No. No. It's everyone that thirsted. Remember? Everyone. Jew. Gentile. A nation that were every tongue, in every tribe,
in every family, out of all nations, one that was not openly set forth
to be his. That's a first. Paul said to Ephesus, he said,
you were, you were, in terms of the Ephesians, Gentiles, you
were, at one time, openly, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
without Christ, strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, without God in the world. Everlastingly? Openly, yes. Openly. But not in the eternal
purpose of God, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were
far off, made nigh by the blood of Christ. Do you think that
God Almighty everlastingly loved all those that He was going to
call out of darkness? Do you think that God Almighty
eternity chose them in Christ? Yes. But they came into this
world, and they didn't know God, and He did not openly reveal
them to be His. Oh, but in time, in time. Do you know why Almighty God
has allowed this place to still be here? He's still pleased to
manifest Himself and to feed his sheep. And who knows? Maybe there's some others out
there. You say, well, I think it's just us. Oh, really? Lord, I'm alone. I'm left. Everybody else is forsaking
you. And Lord, hold the prophetly
like him. I've got 7,000 that's never bowed
to me. Or could it be that there may
be some? Or could it be that possibly
that you're going to save somebody today? Or could it be that through
the frailty of this preacher that's preaching the word that
is power, the gospel of God's grace, who knows? God may save
one of your kids today. Who knows? I pray so. Behold,
thou shalt. Thou shalt. Thou shalt. Call the nation that thou knowest
not, and nations that knew not thee. What are they going to
do? They're going to run unto thee
because of the Lord thy God. Because God has chosen to show
mercy. They're going to run to you.
Oh, until God Almighty gave them a new heart, they didn't care.
rebels in their heart, rebels against Him. He said, I'm telling
you, they're going to run unto Thee. Why? Because they in themselves,
because of the Word thy God. Because God will have mercy on
whom He will have mercy. Because He will have compassion All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. Nations that knew not thee shall
run because of the Lord thy God. Because God chose Christ to be
the church. Because God chose the people
in Him. And for the Holy One of Israel. the persons of the
God in here, they shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy
God, and for the holy one of Israel." Why? He put away their
guilt. He was made sin for all that
the Father gave Him. He was made sin for them. Who
said that? The witness said it. I lay down
my life for the sheep. Well, my preacher says, He died
for everybody without distinction. That's not what God said. We're going to believe God. Because of the Holy One of Israel,
God's people are going to come. He lived for them and earned
their righteousness. God loved this world, this arrangement. This is why we've got this morning. He loved the arrangement, purpose
that the mankind, the order of mankind would not perish by His
grace. There's going to be some that's
going to come. Why? For He hath glorified thee. That's what the Father said to
the Son. I've glorified. You remember
But the word, glory, sets forth God's glory, God's honor, God's
thoughts, God's opinion. Show me your glory, I will have
mercy on whom I have mercy. Scripture sets forth that he,
the Father, hath glorified thee, the Son. How so, Lord? A child was born. The Son was
given. He glorified the Son. Being born
into this world. A virgin shall conceive. Christ
was glorified. God's purpose. God's thoughts. God's will. There He is. That old priest said one day,
was it Zacharias? I think it was. He held this
little baby 8 days old. The Lord Jesus Christ came and
re-circumcised him according to the law. He looked at him
and he said, Lord, let me now depart in peace. I have sinned
your salvation. God revealed he was glorified
in the birth. He glorified him in his life. in His walk, at His baptism,
at His transfiguration, this is my Beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased. He glorified Him, earning the
righteousness by which His people are clothed. He glorified Him
in His death. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ
said in John 17. John 17, listen to the words
of our Lord in His high priestly prayer. These words spake Jesus
and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has
come. The time of his crucifixion has come. Glorify thy son. The Lord set forth your eternal purpose. Glorify thy son that thy son
may glorify thee. The Father glorified the Son
in that crucifixion. You said when he was made sin?
Yes. He glorified God's eternal purpose
and will and thoughts. There's the lamb made sin. Put him away, aren't you? Glorifying God's law. Honoring
God's law. Honoring God's word. He glorified
him. He glorified him. set forth His eternal purpose
in the resurrection. Accepted, accepted of God. Accepted, and here we are, accepted
in the Beloved. Not apart from, but in Him. going up, just ascended into
heaven, and they watched him. Two men, two angels, were standing
there. And you men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus that you see
shall return like man. He glorified him. Sit thou at
my right hand until I make The scriptures set forth that
Almighty God has a purpose. This is His purpose in His Son. Thou shalt call a nation that
thou knowest not, and nations that do not leave shall run unto
thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for thy holy one of
Israel, for he hath glorified thee. We pray, Lord, have mercy on
us. Lord, teach us. For Christ's
sake, and in Christ's name,