May it please God to bless us
together this morning. Let us turn to his word and read
from Isaiah chapter 54 and we'll read verse two. The prophecy
of Isaiah chapter 54 and reading verse two. Enlarge the place
of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations. Spare not, lengthen thy cords
and strengthen thy stakes. Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord. And of course he lived in the
time of Josiah and the time of Hezekiah. Quite some years before
Israel went into captivity, when the Chaldeans took them down
into Babylon. And so this prophecy speaks to
the children of Israel as to that which would come upon them. And of course it speaks to the
church of God at largest that which will come upon them or
has come upon them and also to us as individuals. Well, God
always speaks to us in that personal way. Well, we know of course
that Israel had very many dark days in their life and how they
needed to have words of prophecy to encourage them that there
would be times of blessing. And I suppose we have the same
today, don't we? We look at ourselves, we need encouragement because
there are those times of sadness and sorrow and barrenness and
hardness and wretchedness. And we need the encouragement
from the word of God to press on and to look forward to times
of spiritual blessing. And so here we have the word
of God which sets before us great and glorious truths. And it's
very significant to think of the way that Isaiah's prophecy
is set forth. We've read together that 53rd
chapter in Isaiah, which is so prophetic with regards to the
life of the Lord Jesus Christ, what he would have to face and
what he would endure. And yet you see how there was
to be a blessing And then as we come to the 54th chapter of
Isaiah, it really sets before us the church of God and the
scene of prosperity which they can look forwards to and the
blessings which are to be found in none other than in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And therefore, such blessings,
such favors must be centered upon the work, the finished work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because there is no real spiritual
prosperity, no real spiritual blessing outside of Christ. Indeed, Christ is so needful
for us all. And not just on one occasion
in our life, but really day by day as we journey on through
this world. And so here we have an encouragement
statement where the prophet says, sing, O barren, now that it's
not bare, break forth in the singing, and cry aloud that it's
not travail with child for more are the children of the desolate
than the children of the married wife saith the Lord. That really
is a prophecy with respect to the Gentile church, the church
of God, because they had indeed been so barren and so dark Whereas
of course, the Israel by nature had been blessed. They often
turn their back upon God, but here we have this testimony of
that blessing, which was to come. And then the prophet says, therefore
with this prospect, with this promise, he says, enlarge the
place of thy tent. and let them stretch forth the
curtains of thy habitation. Spare not, lengthen thy cause
and strengthen thy stakes. So here is prophesied a time
of blessing and a time of favor. And there was to be this enlarging
of the place of their tents. Tents of course were the place
that they dwelt in. And it's interesting to note
that the word of God refers to tents rather than to buildings.
And we know that tents generally meant they were moved from one
place to another. uh... it means that there it
wasn't a permanent dwelling place it was a temporary dwelling place
and how relevant that is isn't it isn't it to the church of
god today to us today to you and me to realize that we don't
have a permanent dwelling here on this earth we have a temporary
abode but we have no continuing city here and to think that it
might be and is perhaps just like a tent which can be moved
from one place to another. And yet there was this encouraging
word here that they were to enlarge the place of the tent, place
of thy tent. And to have it larger, why? So there might be adequate accommodation
to give to those who may be brought in, gathered in to the church
of God. The enlargement and the encouragement
to do that, to enlarge the place of thy tent it would seem in
anticipation of the blessing which was to follow and it wasn't
only just to have this enlargement of the tent if that was to be
enlarged, how was it to be done? well we're told it was to be
done by stretching forth the curtains you know those objects
which were placed around the perimeter they were to be stretched
forth these curtains of the habitation and they were to spare not and
they were to lengthen the cords and strengthen the stakes because
obviously if these tents were to be increased in size then
the the cords which held the tents weren't going to be long
enough they needed to be extended the stakes which held them weren't
going to be strong enough and they needed to be strengthened
and therefore the encouraging word is set before us in this
way and then also we notice these two words spare not that means
there was labour involved that means they were to do that which
was right and not slack they were to spare not they were to
be very diligent in the things of God and so we have a statement
here a very clear statement really of what was to be necessary when
the time of blessing was to come and so as we think of that perhaps
in the case of ancient Israel, definitely in the case with the
Gentile church, and perhaps in the case of ourselves in our
own lives. It will be a wonderful blessing
if we know something of the Spirit of God moving us to this end,
as it were to accommodate the blessing of Almighty God. Enlarge the place of thy tent,
be ready to receive the word of God and the expansion of it
and the testimony of God's word as it may enlarge our hearts
that we may not be just as it were tied down and constricted
and just satisfied with just a very small tent as it were
a very small dwelling we should be encouraged by the word of
God to desire that it may indeed be enlarged, that our tent might
be enlarged, our knowledge of God, our knowledge of our spiritual
home may be enlarged. The place where we want to dwell. We want to dwell surely in the
presence of our God. We want to dwell with Him. and
therefore to have our view enlarged of the great work of God, the
great work of the plan of salvation, the wonderful blessing that it
sets before us. And then in this enlargement
to therefore be able to stretch forth the curtains that the perimeter
may be extended, there may be room indeed for the whole council
of God and that we may be concerned, therefore, to growing grace and
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that
it is enlarged in this way where it is expanded, and it's expanded
by stretching forth the curtains of the habitation. And so we
recognize here that such involvement requires prayer. enlarging a tent naturally doesn't
just happen, doesn't it? We can't just sit down in the
middle of a tent and think, well, it's going to get bigger. Well,
it won't, will it? You know, if we have to extend
a tent to make a natural tent bigger, it involves labour. And I'm sure of this, and those
of you who have done camping I'm sure will realise that the
smaller the tent, the easier it is to erect and keep in place. The larger the tent, the more
difficult it is to erect, and the harder it is to keep it in
place. So it is really, in our spiritual
life, here we have these words, to enlarge the place of thy tent,
and to let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations,
and spare not, there will without be a labour. And remember, the
word of God encourages us in this way, in all labour there
is profit. in a spiritual sense in all spiritual
labor there is profit and we could say therefore that if there
is no labor there's no profit there's no benefit if we just
stay still and ignore the word of God no laboring and in the
things of God there is laboring there's laboring in prayer there's
laboring in reading the word of God there's laboring in going
about and and doing good there's laboring in helping one another
there's laboring in seeking each other's welfare above ourselves
all these things are labor and it means that in these uh items
we are not to spare ourselves not to spare ourselves spare
not says the word of god sometimes we expect blessings that just
happen. We expect our spiritual life
to just benefit by just being lukewarm in our religious activities. And by that I mean in a spiritual
sense, I mean in a godly sense, in truly seeking earnestly for
God's blessing in our souls. You see, we should not consider
that we're just able to just wander on aimlessly in our life. No, the word of God says here,
enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the
curtains of thy inhabitation. Spare not, lengthen thy cords
and strengthen thy stakes. Well, might be our earnest prayer
that in doing this and enlarging at the place where we dwell,
where we dwell spiritually, the place where we dwell at home,
as it were, spiritually, in our innermost being, that our concern
is that we may know more of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have, of course, in that
chapter we read together, a wonderful evidence and a wonderful testimony
of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a blessing it
is If you and I are to be enlarged in our spiritual life, it is
really to be enlarged in that knowledge of the words of that
chapter, in that personal experience to understand what the prophet
is describing. Now, our natural mind, our natural
way would find no attraction in such statements that are recorded
in such a chapter as this. Indeed, we would find them not
attractive, we would turn away from them, we would find there
was no benefit, and we'd probably turn over to something which
was more interesting to our natural mind. Well, again, there is a
laboring, and we should realize that in this labor, there is
that labor of prayer that the Lord would open our understanding. The understanding might be enlarged. We are not to be satisfied. We're
just staying still. I know we're not to despise the
day of small things, but nonetheless, there should be that earnest
prayer that we might grow spiritually. You know, the apostle Paul had
that great desire, didn't he? He wanted to know the Lord more
and more and more. The apostle had a wonderful knowledge
of the Savior. but he wanted that knowledge
to be enlarged so may you and I desire that our knowledge of
the Savior might indeed be enlarged and you see if that is to be
so then there will be a need for a strengthening of our faith
a strengthening of our faith that the cords might be lengthened
and the stakes might be strengthened in regards to our blessed gift
of faith which we have received to have it indeed lengthened
and strengthened well I believe it is as we are enlarged that
we are blessed with this um not sparing ourselves We must not
forget that we have the word of God that instructs us and
we open this chapter, the 53rd chapter with these words, who
has believed our report? And how few people today believe
the report of the word of God. And then the question is asked,
and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Many people today
are satisfied with just a mere religion of words that doesn't
have a real blessing with it and here we have this statement
of the arm of the lord being revealed that means the lord
has put forth his arm put forth his hand and revealed himself
unto you and to me well do we believe that report the lord
does great things like that today these things which are revealed
to us. You know, as you and I read the
word of God, we need the spirit of God to enlarge our understanding
by revealing to us the great and glorious truths which are
contained in his word. Then you see it is that we are
enlarged as we see the glory and the blessing of the wonderful
great plan of salvation. And we have the testimony of
Isaiah as the Spirit of God wonderfully moved him. It's a wonderful thought,
isn't it? To see how the Spirit of God
moved Isaiah so many, many years before the Savior came into this
world and moved him to write such very clear words of prophecy,
which so explain that which came to pass and how encouraging for
us today what a proof it is. such revelations to our soul
enlarges the place of our tent. Yes, we're spiritually blessed.
And we therefore then need God's to strengthen these things that
we may be indeed blessed by them. And so we read of the Savior. And what does it say? For he
shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a
dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness,
and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire
him. Now, it's a very important word
that really, because today, you see, people have a very false
impression, generally speaking, of the Lord Jesus Christ. they really don't understand
what the word of God speaks to us about but the previous chapter
tells us in the 52nd chapter and the 13th verse says behold
my servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled
and be very high well we'd agree with that wouldn't we and then
it comes as many as were astonished at thee his visage was so marred
more than any man and his form more than the sons of men that
is a very clear word of prophecy with regard to the Lord Jesus
Christ and what he would have appeared to be like nothing attractive
naturally to our understanding how many people today have a
picture in their mind of someone who is naturally very attractive
but you see Christ naturally was not attractive and it's a
wonderful thing if you and I are enlarged in our spiritual life
to realize the great truth of such a word as this to recognize
that when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire
him naturally it's not but bless God if Christ is attractive to
us. And the only way that Christ
will be attractive to us is when he's suitable to us. And that's
when he is our savior. That's when we realize that he
has died to atone for our sins. And then to think, well, here
was this great and glorious man. Here is a description of what
he was like. He was despised and he was rejected
of men. well by nature we reject the
Lord don't we we do reject the Lord and it's a good thing when
we know we've rejected him what a blessing then if he's received
us that he's spoken to us he's a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised
and we esteemed him not well is our tent very cramped or is
it being enlarged as we have a better view of the wonderful
savior that so condescended to come into sinful worlds to redeem
our soul to redeem your soul and my soul and to recognize
yes he was despised I despised him My friends, do we still despise
the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we esteem Him not? The vast
majority of mankind today does not esteem the Savior. They have
no room for Him. No room. There's no desire that
there may be an enlargement. They don't want Him in their
life. They want to live their life without Christ. They have
no desire for Him. Do you and I want to live our
life without Christ? Is He despised and not esteemed? You see, it comes very close
as you and I need to examine our hearts to see the reality
of the truth of God there when these things apply to us. So the prophet goes on, surely
has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Well, we've got
grief because of our sin. The Lord's enlarging our tent. The curtains are being stretched
forth. What does it show us? it shows us more of our sin more
of our our sinfulness more the evil that is in our heart as
we spoke last Tuesday the total depravity of our nature and that's
not something that we naturally understand but you know it's
a great blessing when the spirit of God enlarges the place of
our tent so that we understand the depravity of our heart now
you know that's the work of the spirit of God and you can bless
God if that spirit has come to you and granted you a realization
of your true condition before a holy God and to think then
that you come and you then grieve over sin grieve over sin You
know, it's easy to say sorry, isn't it? But do you grieve over
your sin before Almighty God? Do you come and recognize that
this great and glorious Savior has borne your griefs and carried
your sorrows? Yet we did esteem Him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. but the apostle the prophet goes
on but he was wounded for our transgressions your sin and my
sin the saviour wounded bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement
of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed
it's a wonderful statement isn't it it's a wonderful thought to
recognize that here the blessed spirit of God is granting us
a spiritual enlargement in our hearts. So not only has that
spirit enlarged us to recognize our sinfulness and the grief
it causes us, but to also come to that great and blessed and
wonderful understanding that the savior was wounded and was
bruised for us and that the chastisement due to us was upon him and the
stripes that he received we were healed by well what a wonderful
blessing you see if that is so now I believe that we will need
strength to retain such blessings as this and such spiritual understanding
that our cords might be lengthened and our stakes strengthened to
lay hold of these great and glorious truths as it is they're enlarged
in heart and that therefore when, as it were, the storms of life
come we don't lose them. You see a tent needs to be well
supported, well strengthened That's the reason why the prophet
gives us this information here. Lengthen the cords and strengthen
the stakes. Yes, to be blessed with this
wonderful knowledge in our hearts by the spirit of God, to grow
these words have an application to our heart. And not just a
word written many years ago, but they're written for a divine
purpose. to speak to your soul and to
my soul. And that's a consideration which
is so glorious, isn't it, to think that in eternity past,
the Lord ordained that words should be written that should
be appropriate and applicable to your life and to my life today
so that our spiritual life, there might be that growth, there might
be that extension, that enlargement of heart that we see these great
and glorious truths so the prophet goes on and he speaks and he
says all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone
to his own way well is that true? have you walked
in your way? have you walked contrary to God?
have you done that which you wanted to do? that which pleased
your thoughts, but you didn't really pray about doing the will
of God. No, you just, you turned your
way. You turned your way. You didn't
pray about it. What a good thing, isn't it? If the spirit of God
instructs us to pray our way along day by day, in the many
eventualities which come into our lives every day, Pray our
way along. We've all gone astray. We've
turned everyone to his own way. And then the word tells it, and
the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. All that
which we've done in our own strength. Yes, have we always been very
conscious of the honor of glory of God? and the things that we
say and the things that we do. Well, my friends, ponder the
thought the Lord God has laid on the Savior, all our sin, all
our sin, not just the little sin that we might think. Remember,
there's no real little sin because every sin is sufficient to damn
us forever and ever. There's no real small sin. But
then to think here that every sin the Lord had laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Everyone, the Savior carried
the sins of his church. Well, it'd be a great blessing
if our heart has been enlarged. Enlarge the place of thy tent,
where we are, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations. Spare not. Spare not. It's very important that we recognize
the truth of these two words, to spare not in our spiritual
life. Spare not. So easy, isn't it,
to pass on from one thing to another, things which appear
to be more important to us. Well, here we are told to spare
not. Spare not ourselves. Concentrate,
labor on in those things which are of God. Those things which
will be of eternal good. How often we labor, don't we,
for just the things of this earth. We have to, of course, to labor
to live. We know that. But are we concerned
about the blessing of God in our souls? and to realize that
here we have a great and wonderful Savior who has gone before and
has carried our sins, that one, and he was oppressed. You might
say, well, I'm oppressed. Well, we are oppressed, aren't
we? The Savior was oppressed. And I think when the Spirit of
God applies such a word to our hearts, to realize that, well,
we have a great saviour who understands me because he was oppressed and
I'm oppressed I can go to him pour out my heart to him because
he understands my position I was tempted to think that no
one else understood what I was like he was oppressed and he was afflicted
into the life of the Savior. Does such a truth become a blessing
for us, an encouragement for us, so that our spiritual home
is extended, it's enlarged, we have something to praise God
for, to thank Him for, that He's looked upon us and He's given
us a little understanding of the greatness of our Savior, He was oppressed and he was afflicted. And yet we see he opened not
his mouth. What does that mean? He didn't
complain. Again, a wonderful example, isn't
it? For you and me today. The Lord
never complained, my friends. Well, if our way appears difficult
and hard, do we complain? The Lord sets us the example.
There it is before us. there it is and he opened not his mouth not
his mouth he didn't complain when we're tempted to complain
but a blessing is to remember and to consider him you see this
what is this my friends it's a spiritual growth in graces
and enlargement but there will be a need to strengthen these
things. Because our adversary, the devil,
goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And
he will put every temptation in our path to try and turn us
away from following the blessed example of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ. You may say, well, you've got
a right to complain. You know, you don't deserve such a situation
as this. My friends, we deserve everything.
We deserve eternal hell. Blessed be God, if he's died
for our sins to atone for us. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter and as a sheep before a shearer's dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth. Brought as a slaughter to the
slaughter, brought to care of his cross, hung up on that cross,
nailed to that cross. and no complaints no complaints we might feel our path is very
hard it's wonderful we have grace to say have a harder way dear
saviour still lead on nor leave me till i say father thy will
be done yes we We just taste a little of that cup, because
he has drunk it up. Well, it's a blessing, isn't
it, then, to be enlarged in this way. So we have the Savior taken
from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation?
It was cut off out of the land of living, for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. Yes, the Savior died to save
his church. What a wonderful blessing if
you and I, my friends, this morning have this enlargement of heart,
the place of our tent, to realize the Savior died to atone for
our sins. He was cut off. In the midst
of his years, 33 years of age, the prime of life, he was cut
off. cut off out the land of the living
the reason for our transgressions yes for our transgressions he
made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death
because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his
mouth oh what a great and blessed example we have it's worthy of
meditation isn't it to think of what the Savior endured. If we have some appreciation
in our hearts, then surely there's this enlargement. Enlarge the
place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of
thy habitations. Spare not, spare not, my friends. This is well worth labor. Well worth the labor and prayer.
Don't give up. You don't seem to make any progress.
No, spare not. Don't spare yourself. We're tempted
to think, oh well, I've prayed and I've done this and well,
I'll carry on now with my life. I'll get on with the jobs that
have got to be done. It's a good thing when the spirit of God
enables us to press on. Press on. pressed toward the
mark that is set before us in the gospel. What is that mark? The Savior looking under him.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. It put him to grief when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 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. Again and again, we have this
repeated, haven't we? Really in this chapter, the Lord
will take our sin. He carries our sin. He pays a
price for our sin so that we are complete in Him. Yes, what a wonderful blessing
it is. Therefore, when I divine Him, a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he was
numbered with the transgressors, and he bear the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. To think today
we have the Savior that makes intercession for us, intercession
for you and me. What a favor it is to have such
a Savior in large then the place of thy tent. You know, when the prophet Ezekiel wrote in his
day, and he tells us towards the end of the 36th chapter,
then, the heathen that are left round about you shall know that
I, the Lord, build the ruined places. A plant that was desolate,
Perhaps it may feel like that in our own little lives, our
own little home, our own little tent as it were. And I, the Lord,
build the ruined places and plant that was desolate. I, the Lord,
have spoken and I will do it. See what God speaks comes to
pass. I will do it. Yes, it doesn't
always come to pass when we want it to or when we think it will.
that the Lord's word does come to pass, it never fails. Thus
says the Lord, God, I will yet be for this be inquired of by
the house of Israel to do it for them. I will increase them
with men like a flock as the holy flock is a flock of Jerusalem
in her solemn feasts. So shall the way cities be filled
with flocks of men and they shall know that I am the Lord. Well, so the prophecies in the
Word of God are so encouraging. There will be times of blessing,
times of spiritual prosperity, times of favor, times when the
Lord looks upon us and smiles upon us and restores us and brings
us again, as it were, into the holy habitation. Enlarge the
place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of
thine habitations. Spare not. Oh, my friends, don't
let us spare ourselves in the things of God. Let us all be
so diligent. Let us be so concerned for spiritual
blessings, for spiritual life. There may be this enlargement.
Spare not. Lengthen thy cords and strengthen
thy stakes. The Lord may give us that living
faith to stretch out to our God, to pray earnestly for him, that
we may be strengthened with might in our inner man. Oh, you see
that which was the work of the Spirit of God may be strengthened,
our stake strengthened. It's a very simple picture we
have, don't we here, with this tent being enlarged and the cords
lengthened and then strengthened. And so it is so in our spiritual
life. What a favour it is then that
you and I may be encouraged to believe the Lord will look upon
us in love and mercy. We may go in the strength of
the Lord God. We may mention of his righteousness,
even of his only, amen.