Zion's sake There's a lot contained in those
words for Zion's sake God is going to do something For the
sake of his church Zion is always in The scripture the church the
people of God the congregation of God. It's the It was Mount
Zion in Jerusalem the city of David picturing Salem is peace
Jerusalem. There's no peace anywhere but
in Christ The city of David the Lord Jesus Christ is called David
in the scriptures the son of David and David And so it's his
city. We are his city Psalm 48 one great is the Lord
and Greatly to be praised in the city of our God. I in the
mountain of his holiness, beautiful for situation, is Mount Zion. Beautiful for situation, the
joy of the whole earth. There's no joy anywhere else
in the earth. And if anybody's gonna have any joy in this world,
they're gonna have to come here, aren't they? They're gonna have
to come to God's church, not this particular one. but they're
gonna have to hear from god that's where he meets with sinners is mount zion on the sides of
the north, the city of the great king the city of david but also
the city of the greater than david god is known in her palaces for
refuge isn't that the truth? oh boy We need a refuge, don't we? God
is known in his church for a refuge. He's our refuge from the storm.
God said, I'll put you in the cleft of the rock and put your
feet on the rock, cover you there with my hand. A refuge from ourselves. You ever
think of it that way? What are you running from? What
do you need a refuge from? My sin, myself. Now in the church, in God's city,
in Zion, we say this a lot, for his sake, and rightly so. to do something in Christ's name.
I just prayed in the name. He said, if you ask anything
in my name, the Lord will do it for you. So I pray in his
name, whether I say it out loud or not, but to do anything in
the name of Christ, to pray or to come before him in worship.
You come in his name tonight, I hope, because we have to. It's to do it under his authority. to come in his name under his
authority. It's under the auspices of his
representation, his federal headship over us. It's like an ambassador
comes and delivers a message perhaps to a foreign king in
the name of my king. I come in the name of my king,
under his auspices, under his authority. And that's how we
come in Christ, under his authority, by his authority. I've got no
authority on my own to come before God. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me, he said. And an ambassador recognizes
the authority by which he's sent when he comes before anyone else
to whom he's sent. And also, though, for his sake
is for his glory and praise. Listen to a couple of ways that
it's used in scripture. Second Corinthians 12.10, therefore
I take pleasure And that just means I do it willingly. That's
what Paul is saying. In infirmities and in reproaches.
He didn't say, it doesn't mean he likes infirmities and reproaches
and need and not having things that
you need and things like that. He said, therefore I take pleasure
in those things or I willingly receive these things, infirmities
and reproaches and necessities and persecutions and distresses
for Christ's sake. For Christ's sake, for him, it's
for him. For when I am weak, then I'm
strong. You see what he's saying there? When my flesh is put down and
when my flesh, when I decrease, he increases. It's by the denial of the flesh
that we take up our cross and follow him and do what he says
Remember now the cross means death We take up our cross and there's
just one thing that happens on a cross people down So that's
what it means that we're dead to ourselves dead unto sin and
alive unto God in Christ, but also The cross means something
else. It means his glory It's his glory in it so for Christ's
sake for Christ's sake, for his glory. We do what we do. But when it
comes to salvation, when it comes to the church, for Zion, the
existence of the church, the members of the church, who makes
up the church, the well-being of the church, the security of
the church, the success of the church, It's all about what he
has done for us. We want to do for his sake, don't
we? But what he's done for our sake,
well, that's salvation. That's security. That's rest.
That's peace. That's effectual. What I do for
his sake, there's still sin mixed in that, but what he does for
my sake is perfect and always successful. If we're gonna ever do or say
anything for Christ's sake, he's gonna have to first do something
for our sake, isn't he? But we're not ever gonna honor
him. We're not ever gonna look to
him or care whether he's honored by anybody. Oh, listen to this
in regard to that. 2 Corinthians 8, 9, for you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich, yet
for your sakes, for your sakes he became poor. That ye through
his poverty might be rich. That's why we're rich tonight.
Because Christ for my sake, for Zion's sake, for his sheep's
sake. Remember that scripture that
says for the elect's sake. He's gonna cut these days short
for the elect's sake. He does everything he does for
the elect's sake. Look at this one with me. This
is just one verse, but I want you to lay eyes on this one. 2 Corinthians 4.15, look at this. I hope this will be an encouragement
to you tonight. The Lord has commanded his preacher,
comfort you, my people. Comfort my people, feed my sheep. Take care of my sheep. Listen
to 2 Corinthians 4 15. For all things are for your sakes. Wait a minute, Chris. Everything?
You get to thinking about it now. God does everything. Did we not see that this morning?
He's the first cause of everything. He controls everything. He works
all things after the counsel of his own will. Why does he do it? For Christ's
sake. But how is Christ glorified? All things are for your sakes.
that the abundant grace might, through the thanksgiving of many,
redound to the glory of God. Paul is, of course, applying
that to a certain situation in 2 Corinthians chapter four, but
you tell me a situation where that don't apply. He does everything he does for
his son. And are we not in his son? If you be Christ, then you're
heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. All things are for your sakes.
I can't quit saying it. That the abundant grace of God
upon his sheep, upon his church for Zion's sake, might through
the thanksgiving of many, we're gonna praise him tonight. We're
gonna just keep praising him, because he just keeps blessings.
In Christ, we're forever blessed. It's gonna redound for his sake. You see that? For our sakes,
but ultimately for his sake too. His glory, the glory of God.
If we had any idea what that scripture said right there, I'm going to call you on it.
You know this is right. If you had any idea what that
said, and if I did, we would never worry about anything ever
again or ever complain again. You just wouldn't. I wouldn't
either. If I knew what that said, how
could you? What are you going to complain
about? Something bad? That thing you're calling bad
is not bad for you. Somebody else may mean it for
evil, but God don't mean it for evil, not for you, not for you. So what for the sake of his people,
what all has he done? What has he not done? But look
specifically now, we've seen in these verses, that we just
read that Christ is the answer to that that's what he did he
sent his son he put us in his son sent his son to be our propitiation
blessed us in his son Christ is the answer to that question
what has God done for the sake of his people but look at our
text there's some specific blessings here that can't be overlooked
he said for your sake I did not hold my peace he spoke All God has to do is just nothing. And we're all goners. If he just
doesn't do anything, if he just doesn't say a word, everybody
goes to hell. But for our sakes, we have this
wonderful phrase in regards to this, listen, to the very beginning
of Christ's ministry in this world, Now Christ had taught,
we see that he had taught before this, but this is the first time
we see him actually sitting down in Matthew chapter five, it says
he sat down, sat down on a rock, and listen to what it says in
Matthew 5 too, this is one of my favorite verses of scripture.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying. And then it goes
on to the next verse, that's it. That's it, he opened his
mouth. For Zion's sake, I have not held
my peace. And you know what? You know what
the first thing that came out of his mouth was? What would
God, what do you think God would say to this world? You look at this world tonight.
You look how godless and evil and just ignorant and willfully
ignorant. and just spiteful, just in the
face of all that's good, this world rises up in rebellion and
is almost unbelievable, isn't it, how bad it is? You can't
even think about it long without getting mad or sad, or both. What do you think God, if he
came down here, what do you think he would say to this wretched
world? You know what he said? Blessed. Blessed. Blessed are the poor
in spirit. Blessed. You know, it wouldn't seem out
of place if he came down here and cursed. Cursed this world. Cursed everybody in it. But he
didn't. He said, I didn't come to condemn
the world, but that the world through me might be saved. And
you know who the world is to him. It's his sheep. It's his
people. But he opened, the son of God
came down and opened his mouth and taught them. Listen to Hebrews 1.1. God, who
at sundry times and in diverse manners or various manners, spake
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these
last days spoken. In time past he spoke, and in
these last days he's still speaking. And he speaks to us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds. The one that made you has something
to say to you. God hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son. What has he spoken about? He's
always spoken unto us of his Son. from the beginning he said
Moses wrote of me Moses wrote the book of Genesis in the beginning
God and that whole creation account is just a picture of Christ and
what he's done for his people Moses wrote of me it says in
Luke 24 27 beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
He's spoken unto us in these last days by his son. He's from
the beginning spoken of his son. And thank God he didn't hold
his peace. If he did not say to sinners
the things concerning himself, then no sinner would ever have
any hope. He is the good news. Those angels said, I bring you
good tidings of great joy. That's the definition of the
gospel. That's what gospel means, good tidings. What is it? A savior's born. Christ is the
gospel. There is unto you this day in
the city of David, in Zion, in the church and spiritual center. That's what his world is now.
God so loved the world, he loves his garden. He don't love the
weeds in his garden, he loves his garden. Just like you do,
only a lot more. If God holds his peace, there's
no good news. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by God not holding his peace, by the word of God. And what else though? It's not
just that he spoke as precious as his word is to us. Look what else is in that verse.
For Zion's sake, I will not hold my peace. For Jerusalem's sake,
I will not rest. I will not rest. Think about
that now. His word, he speaks, but what
does his word say? What he's done. He hasn't rested,
he's been working. He's been accomplishing something.
And he said, I'm not gonna rest, I'm gonna keep on working. He
said, I must work the works of him that sent me while it's day.
The night's coming when no man can work. He said, I must be
about my father's business. I'm not gonna rest until it's
done. He didn't until it was finished What God says He has not held
his peace about what what Christ did who he is and what he did
Read Romans chapter 1. It's the gospel concerning his
son Jesus Christ whom he's spoken from the beginning and And by the way, who he is and
what he did, you can't separate those. You can't separate what
he's done from who he is. Think about this, what Christ
did is what it is because of who he is. I can say, I'm gonna die for
you, and I might jump in front of a bullet for you. Well, that's
a nice thing to do. Might save your life physically,
you still may go to hell though. Me too So what good did it really
do? But what he did now if he died
for you you're saved forever because of who he is he can't
fail He accomplishes what he said
he's the one that said I've purposed it I'll do it And listen Not only is what he
did what it is because of who he is, but because of who he
is, he did what he did. That's why he did it. Because
of who he is. It goes the other way too. His
person and his work, they're inseparable. What he did, I couldn't
do anyway. I don't have a holy life to lay
down. So I can't lay down a holy life. I don't have a perfect
offering. to offer him to God. But he did.
He offered it. I couldn't do it anyway, even
if I wanted to. But the truth is, I wouldn't
want to. If it was up to me, we'd all be in big trouble. But he did what he did because
of who he is. He's love. He doesn't just love. He is love. He's the definition
of love. His person in his work. That's
what God has not held his peace about. That's what he's been
talking about from the very start. That's why Abel was able to offer
the more excellent sacrifice. Because God opened his mouth
and taught him. He's always spoken about that
and because of him commissioning us, We're not to hold our peace
about it either. Same message. Don't you hold
your peace either now. Now there's a right time and
a place, you know that we know that, we understand that. The
scriptures are pretty clear about that. Don't cast your pearls
before swine. Wait a minute, Chris, who's a
swine? Isn't everybody a swine? He tells
us that. Anybody that's gonna trample
them underfoot. Anybody that hates the Lord Jesus
Christ and has no interest in what you've got to say, and they're
gonna just trample the pearls underfoot, then he didn't say, you know, there
goes the blind leading the blind. We better go save him. No, he
said, let him alone. But if the Lord gives you an
opportunity now to be a witness for him, don't
hold your peace. He did say go preach, didn't he? and that's
not just you know that's not a title that's what we are we
all it's just a means to declare to be a witness for him so concerning the work of God
the work in the person of Christ the work of salvation he said
here in this prophecy in our text I will not rest but he's resting now isn't he?
He's resting now. He said, I will not rest until
something is accomplished. Well, he's resting now. So let's
read a little further in that passage that we read a while
ago from Hebrews 1. If you want to turn there, turn
there. If not, I'll just read a little further than I did a
while ago, because you see, We see in this now where he is
and what he's doing. God who at sundry times and in
diverse manners spake, he hath not held his peace. Isn't it
amazing how many times a passage from the New Testament is so,
it's almost like this is what was being prophesied and like
paul in hebrews here was referring maybe to isaiah 62 i'm not sure
he wasn't because think about this he spoke he has not held
his peace and what has he spoken about look hath in these last
days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of
all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness
of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding
all things by the word of his power when he had by himself
purged our sins sat down the one who said i will not rest
sat down he didn't say i'm not going to ever rest he said i'm
not going to rest until something is done accomplished He sat down
on the right hand of the majesty on high And we see some of that
in the rest of the four verses the other three verses that I
read there in isaiah 62 It's just beautiful the way it corresponds
So if he says in our text I will not rest until something is done
And then we see him sitting down. What does that tell us? Whatever it is, he said, I'm
not gonna rest till it's done. It's done, isn't it? Look with
me, now turn with me to this one, Hebrews 10, 11. We see this a lot, we look at
the scripture quite a bit, but what a beautiful context in which
to look at it, in the context of our text in Isaiah 62 tonight. Hebrews 10, 11, and every priest
standeth daily ministering in the old testament and under that
old covenant and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can
never take away sins that's not what they were for but this man
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on
the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool and there's one more verse we have to read
there but I don't want to read it yet look up at me for a second
I'm not going to read it yet because I want us to think about
something first we have to ask this question if Christ will
not rest until this be accomplished whatever it is and we find him
sitting down what was it he said he must accomplish the first
verse of our text said he will not rest until his people are
righteous and everybody knows about it look at what it said
is that what he said? until his people are perfect,
spotless, pure, holy, righteous, and everybody knows about it.
That's what he said. Until the righteousness thereof
go forth as brightness. You remember him talking about
everybody in the room can see the light. You put it on a candlestick
so everybody, it's gonna go, the righteousness of my people's
gonna go forth Brightness now, let's read that next verse verse
14 How does that happen how are we how is our my righteousness
is he really talking about my righteousness For by one offering
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified holy spotless
righteous Christ's accomplished work His
obedience unto death All that he did when he said I will not
rest until I've done it even the death of the cross now his
obedience unto death even the death of the cross and By that
precious blood that he shed there for my sins. I am righteous without
blemish and without spot before God Christ is able to present
me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy
because he was slain and has redeemed me to God by his precious
blood. My righteousness shines forth.
He said it would, and it does. But to see it though, don't look
at me. If you're gonna see my righteousness
shining, don't look at me. You have to look to the same
place you have to look to to see anything worth seeing. You
have to look to the Lamb of God, Christ crucified. Look how holy
I am tonight. Look how holy I am. Look how
clean I am. Look how bright I shine. My robes
are washed and made white in the precious blood of God's Lamb. My renown goes forth in the language
of Ezekiel 16, 14. My renown goes forth for my beauty. For it is perfect through his
comeliness, which he has put upon me. He who knew no sin was made to
be sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God in
him. and that's who you're insulting
now, think of each other that way you don't look that shiny
to me until I see you like this until I see you in Christ are
we not to see each other that way? that's who you're insulting,
that's who you're treating like dirt you enemies of his and sometimes
even friends, or are they? that's who it is that is to you
the offscouring of the earth the ones that he calls precious
He says this of us because of who he is and what he did. He
describes us as the bright righteousness of God. Because of what he accomplished
on Calvary, we're made the righteousness of God in him. Listen to this,
Malachi 3.16, then they that feared the Lord spake often one
to another. And the Lord hearkened and heard
it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them
that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, they shall be mine.
And in that day, when I make up my jewels, and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him, his jewels,
his jewels. I tell you what, he doesn't see
us that way because of anything we did. But think about this. If he sees us and we look like
jewels to him, how pretty is that? Think about what he's seen. He makes everything beautiful
in his time, everything. It says our salvation shall shine
forth as a lamp that burns. That just means a light. That
was their light then, right? They burned a lamp so they could
see. Our righteousness is Christ and
our salvation is Christ. When we shine, what happens?
He said they're going to shine forth for their brightness. What's
that all about? You're the light of the world. You are the light of the world.
I never would have said that to you. He said that. That's what he
said. I never would have thought that.
I'm glad he said that, don't you? Aren't you? I never would
have said that if he hadn't said it first. You are the light of
the world. A city that is set on a hill,
the city of God, Zion, cannot be hid. It can't be hid. That's why when somebody tells
me, oh, there's a church right up here that preaches the gospel.
No, there's not. No, there's not. You think we'd know about it? I guarantee it. Can't be hid. Neither do men light a candle
and put it under a bushel. but on a candlestick, and it
giveth light unto all. That's what he's saying. Their
righteousness will go forth in their brightness. It giveth light
unto all that are in the house. Are you in the house? Just because
you're in this building doesn't mean you're in the house now.
You know that. Spiritually speaking, are you
in the house? Have you seen his light? Let your light so shine
before men that they may see your good works and glorify your
father. Now listen to me now. I don't
like to name names, you know, I don't usually name names, but
everybody looks at Mother Teresa, you know, Mother Teresa did so
many good things and they bragging on Mother Teresa. That's not
a good work. If people are bragging on you
for it, and making you a saint for it, or whatever that is in
the eyes of this world. I want to be one of God's saints,
but I don't care anything about what this world thinks about
that. But if what you do causes people
to brag on you, it's not a good work. You know why when you let
your light shine, it causes him to be glorified? Because your
light is him. It just is. What light do you
have? You know it, don't you? Oh, glorify your father. And remember the context of this
now. It is because his work is accomplished
that we shine. I will not rest until it's accomplished."
What is it he accomplished? Us shining. We don't have any
righteousness apart from him. We're not going to shine without
him. He is our light. It's by him and his work that
we shine and that's why for us to shine is for him to be glorified. That's what it means. So let's
go forth from here tonight, rejoicing in Christ who said, for our sakes,
I won't rest. I will not rest until they're
perfect. I'm not gonna stop speaking to
them until they shine forth. Because he said, I will not rest. I can rest. Because he didn't, I do. And
that's the only reason. That's the only reason. It's
the only place I can rest in him who didn't until. We are the trophies of his grace.
That's why it says behold a woman, behold that woman of Canaan.
You can't look at her without saying praise the Lord how merciful
he is How gracious he is? How powerful he is how condescending
he is? He's made known the riches of
his glory by making these vessels of mercy Which he have for prepared
under glory And I want to just close by us reading something
together. Turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1. I just want us to
read this fairly brief passage of scripture together. I don't intend to even comment
on it. I may not be able to help myself.
I just want to read it. 1 Timothy 1.15 This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I'm chief. How be it for this cause I obtained
mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering. You know, I looked up that word
long-suffering and it had been a while since I'd looked at that
word. I tried to just read it. But
listen to this now. It means slowness to avenge wrongs. You think about that in the case
of Saul of Tarsus. He was killing the Lord's people.
The Lord came and said, why are you persecuting me? He didn't
even know who he was, but he was persecuting his people. You
touched the apple of his eye. You've offended him. And he said, oh, he showed forth
all slowness to avenge the wrongs that I had done unto him for
a pattern You know what that word means? Example. For an example
to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now listen to what he said there. He was slow to avenge. He could have put me in hell
a thousand times and he'd have been doing exactly the right
thing. Oh, I richly, I was crying out to be put in hell, as Paul
said. He should have put me in hell So many times, but he didn't
and you know what? I'm just an example He has mercy like that on a whole
bunch of people Pretty sure what Paul is saying right there is
that he saved me in order to show everybody that he can save
anybody That's what he's saying right there He's willing to save those who
most richly deserve his wrath. And Paul said, I'm an example
of that. I'm an example of that. Are you wretched? Do you deserve
hell? There's hope. There's hope. Christ Jesus is your only hope,
but you just need one. All you need is him. All you
need is the Savior. And then he said this, then Paul
said this, Oh, he was so slow to avenge his honor on me. Now unto the king eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and
ever.