These messages will be put on
Sermon Audio this afternoon. They probably won't show up until
Tuesday, but you can go there and download them if you wish.
And I forgot to mention that there is a canister in the back
if you'd like to help with his travel expenses. God bless you. Thank you. Well, for those of you who haven't
been with us in the last few meetings, we're looking at Isaiah
43. So if you would turn there, Isaiah chapter 43. The reason I've chosen Isaiah
43 to bring this series of messages is, as you know, the Lord brought
us into a time of darkness, as the word puts it, a time of affliction
with our daughter. And we've found that to be a
blessed time. And the Lord we've learned, as
we knew, that need to be reminded again and again, that the Lord
is always with his people. And there are particular reasons
for that, and we've been looking at that here in this chapter
of Isaiah. And we'll continue, by God's
grace, to do that this morning. And so, I'll just review some
of the points we've looked at briefly, but before I do that,
I'd just like to mention Norm began the service this morning
just saying how we've known each other for a lot of years, and
that's true. As a result of our friendship, we've come to know
you folk here, and it's been a blessed fellowship that we've had. You
folk have meant so much to Robin and I, and you probably don't
realize how much, but like Norm said, you know, when we first,
from the very beginning, when we came and spent time with Norm
and Nancy, the Lord knit our hearts together in love, as he
tells us happens with his people, and we know that that's only
because of the union we have in Christ. There's nothing lovely
about me to bring forth anyone's esteem, but because of Christ,
he brings us together in love, and we've had sweet fellowship,
and we have again, and as I've said multiple times, I wish Robin
could have been here with me this time as well. I know it
would have been a great blessing and encouragement to her. But
anyway, let's continue here in Isaiah 43. It's just a glorious
chapter in the Word of God. You know I say that about so
many parts of the Word of God. It seems like everything I preach
I say that. But it's true, isn't it? It's
true. It's just every part is glorious
and full of rich blessing because it's the Word of God. It's just
sometimes we don't have the eyes to see it all the time and that's
the only reason. We'll look at some of these things
here. Let me just remind you of what
we have considered. Before I do that, let me read
the first three verses again, and we'll look at some of these
other verses as well, but just to bring to our mind again what
we've looked at. In verse 1, But now, thus says
the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your
name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you. and through the rivers they shall
not overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For
I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Well, Friday, what was it, Saturday
night, we looked at the first point, which is that we will
pass through the waters. It doesn't say, if you pass through
the waters, the Lord will be with you. It says, when we pass
through the waters. And we can be certain of that.
That will happen to the Lord's people. His Word, not just here,
but throughout the experience of the Lord's people from the
beginning of the world till now, revealed in His Word, we see
that His people walk through the waters. There comes a time
when they will walk through the waters. And we will too. But secondly, there's this promise
given, and this is the only thing that matters. Here's the promise,
when you walk through the waters, I will be with you. And what
a privilege, what a blessing that we have this confidence
and assurance that when that time comes, in the Lord's purpose
and His providence, His good providence for His people, that
he'll be with us. And then thirdly, this morning
we looked at the reason for that, and what a wonderful reason.
It's why? Why? For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior, your Savior. And what a wonder that we can
look to him and have this confidence that he as our Savior will do
all these things for us, for His people, and sustain us and
keep us as only He can. Well, this morning, then, as
we continue, I'd like us to consider just these last two points, and
they may not be as short as this morning, but I tried to divide
this chapter up into these three messages, and I trust that the
Lord will be with us. But the fourth point, then, is
here he is, here he's given us this great promise as our Savior
that when we walk through the waters, he'll be with us. Well,
what's the foundation of that promise? The foundation of that
promise is found right there in verse 1. Now look, what does
he say? But now thus says the Lord who
created you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel, fear not,
Why? Why shouldn't we fear when we
face these times? Fear not, for I have redeemed
you. So that's the fourth point. And
then Lord willing, we'll close with how certain is this promise
that he's given us? How certain? Well, it's as certain
as the person who makes it. And who is that? Who is that?
In verse 11, he says, I, even I, am the Lord. I work, and who will reverse it? That's
how certain it is. So, Lord willing, we'll look
at those two points, but as we begin, let's consider for a moment
this term, Savior. Saviour is a term that has wrapped
up in it both an emphasis on the person, the person that's
the saviour, but also an emphasis on what the person has done to
constitute himself a saviour. Have you thought about that?
When we speak about a saviour, immediately we think, well, here's
this person, but what As a Savior, He's done something, hasn't He?
He's done something. The two are inextricably related. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ is
our Savior. What has He done as our Savior? Well, too many things to count. Too many things. But the most
important is that He has redeemed His people. This is why we find
such an emphasis throughout all of the scriptures in the Gospel
of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He's our Savior, and
He's our Savior especially because He's our Redeemer. And that's
a glorious title that the Lord Jesus Christ has, the Redeemer
of His people Israel. Turn over for a minute to keep
your place here in Isaiah 43, but turn over for a minute to
Psalm 130. Psalm 130. And this is one of
the best known Psalms of David. I think the Lord's people find
such great comfort and hope and assurance because it resonates
in the heart of every believer. And the reason that is, is because
it's our experience too. It's the experience of every
believer. It's our experience when the light of God's grace
is poured out into our hearts, and we see our sin, we see the
pollution of our souls we never saw before, but we see the righteous
judgment of God, And we're brought to this place where we cry out
of the depths. And that's a good place. That's
a good place. And we see, then, His revealed
grace in the overflowing mercy of His Son. It's our experience,
too, in the course of the life of this world, like we saw with
Jeremiah. There are times when we come
to come to places where it seems the night is interminable. This
night of suffering and anguish of soul, when we cry out like
Jeremiah, my strength and my hope have perished from the Lord. We're in those depths. We cry
out of the depths and hear the words of the psalmist. It's a
short psalm, just read it with me. Verse 1. Out of the depths
I have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you,
O Lord, should mark iniquity, who could stand?" Isn't that
true? We just glance over all of our
sin and pollution and iniquity, but if the Lord would mark iniquity,
just one of our one iniquity, Well, who could stand? Everyone
here. Is there anyone that could stand? Who could stand? But here, there's the depths.
There's the depths you're brought to. You know you can't stand,
but here, listen, but there is forgiveness with you that you
may be feared. Feared because the forgiveness
is with Him. It's not with us. It's with God. It's with the Lord of glory.
And so what do we do? Five, I wait for the Lord. My soul waits, and in His word
do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more
than those who watch for the morning. Yes, more than those
who watch for the morning. Oh, Israel, hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. He is a glorious Redeemer, and
the redemption that he accomplished is not just a redemption, it's
an abundant redemption. It covers every need we have
to stand before the Almighty God. righteous God, the holy
God. It's an abundant redemption,
and He shall redeem Israel from all her iniquities." This hope that David had in writing
that, this hope of David and the hope of every believer, is
founded upon the Lord, our Savior. Why? Because He's redeemed us. He's redeemed us from all our
iniquities and with Him is an abundant redemption. We'll turn
back to Isaiah 43 and we'll see the emphasis of the redemption
accomplished by Christ here in this great passage to the people
of Israel. He says, we've seen in verse
1, I have redeemed you. I have redeemed you. I am the
Lord, your God, your Savior." And what does he say? I have
given Egypt for your ransom. Egypt. Ethiopian Seba in your
place. Whole nations for Israel. Since you were precious in my
sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you. Therefore,
I will give men for you and people for your life." And he did, didn't
he, for the nation of Israel? He surely did. Here were the
children of Israel, a pitiful rabble of slaves, poor, weak,
miserable, hopeless. Why were they precious in his
sight? What was so special about them? There was nothing desirable
about them. There was nothing to look at
and think, what a wonderful people, what a glorious people, what
a wise people, what a powerful people. Nothing. Nothing. Why
did He choose them out of all the nations? Well, the Lord tells
us, He tells Israel, Don't turn there, but in Deuteronomy we
read, For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord
your God has chosen you to be a people for himself, a special
treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love
on you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any other people, for you were the least of all peoples, in
every way. But because the Lord loves you, nothing, nothing in the people
of Israel to draw out that love other than God's purpose to set
His love upon, in which the Word tells us before the world began
in his purpose. And because he would keep the
oath which he swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out
with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage
from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. There was nothing, nothing in
the children of Israel to evoke this love of God. He set His
love upon them without cause. They were the least of all nations
in the world. And because He set His love upon
them, He brought them out with this mighty hand and redeemed
them from this bondage that they were in, in the nation of Egypt. Now we know that all that God
did with the nation of Israel was typical of the true Israel. The true Israel, the people of
God, the children of Abraham, who are children of Abraham by
faith in Christ, is their only savior, their only hope, the
promise of Israel. And just like this nation of
Israel, here we sit. If you know the Lord, if you
know Christ, Who are we? Why has he set his
love upon us? We too are nothing but a rabble
of slaves, in bondage to sin, the least of all peoples, poor,
weak, foolish, perishing sinners. But God in his grace chose us,
set his love upon us, a special treasure above all
peoples on the face of the earth. Here in Isaiah 43, look there
again in verse 4. Since you were precious in my
sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you. Therefore,
I will give men for you and people for your life. Well, think of
this. Here, what is it referring to?
Here is this mighty nation of Egypt, full of riches, a wealthy country like the world
had never seen, full of knowledge and power, armies and strength. And what does the Lord say to
this pitiful people of Israel? I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Sheba in your place. What's he saying to them? that
the Lord would give all the riches, all the wealth, all the armies,
all the power, all the glory of nations as a ransom for this
pitiful group of people. Because they're precious in His
sight. He set His love upon them. But He gave something so much
more precious for you and for me, didn't He? He didn't give
men for you and people for your life. He gave Himself. He gave the Son of His love. And this is what He says, I have
redeemed you. The ransom price was the blood
of God. We've been redeemed with a price
that the Word tells us is more precious than the riches and
glory. of 10,000 nations or 10,000 worlds. We've been redeemed with the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That was the payment to take
us out of the bondage of sin and death and the power of the
devil. The Father gave his beloved and
only begotten Son for the lives of all that the
Father put into His hands. And He accomplished that abundant
redemption with His own blood for your life and for my life. Fear not, we read here in Isaiah
43, fear not, I have redeemed you. And what inexpressible peace
and hope comes to each one of the Lord's people in that glorious
redemption that's accomplished by Christ on our behalf. We've
been redeemed by His blood. His blood has been spilled. The
ransom price has been paid. Think of that! It's not a payment
that's outstanding, that's out there at some future time. It's
not a payment that's dependent upon anything that you or I might
do. Anything that you and I might
contribute, it's a ransom price that's been paid. This is an
irrevocable redemption. You know what that means? It
can never be taken away. Everyone for whom Christ died
has been redeemed by his blood. You know, this is what our faith
is founded upon, isn't it? Our faith isn't the faith of
the world. The faith and hope of the world
is ephemeral. It's like, you see in the morning
sometimes, that little wisp of fog or mist, and the sun comes
up over the mountain and hits it, and what happens? It just
disappears. It just disappears. The faith
and hope of the world is that. You know, I hear people say,
well, I hope, I have faith that I know this is going to happen.
You know, I might have mentioned this, just as a... Many years ago I saw on television
a woman was being interviewed on the news about her son and
another man who had hiked up one of the, I think it was one
of the mountains here in Oregon. And they thought they would go
up, reach the peak, and come back. that same day and what
they didn't know is one of these freak storms came in and they
were missing and search rescues had to terminate the operation
until the weather became better. A huge storm came in, cold and
snow and sleet and this woman was being interviewed and she
said, I know my son is fine. I have faith. Well, what she
didn't know is her son was already dead, frozen, both of them, frozen
to death. And they retrieved their bodies
the next day. Well, that's the faith of the
world. It's just a feeling. It's not
based on anything of substance. It's ephemeral. But the hope,
the faith and hope of the believer is based upon the redemption
accomplished by Christ, a true redemption, a substantive redemption. The Lord's redemption is a real
and true redemption, and it accomplished a real and true justification
before God. All those that God has been redeemed
stand before Him justified. justified by His blood. All the
law satisfied. Not one tittle of the law unsatisfied. Not one outstanding. All, all perfectly satisfied. And that's why we read those
wonderful verses in Romans chapter 5. Therefore, having been justified
by faith, we have peace with God. Peace with God. That's what every man needs,
doesn't he? Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through
whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. So where do we stand now? We
stand in this grace and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. That's certain, isn't it? Rejoice
in hope of the glory of God. Well, where do we stand? We stand
in His grace. We stand in the citadel of the
King. And we saw we're surrounded on
all sides by walls of redemption. What a picture! What a picture! God will appoint salvation for
walls and for bulwarks, protecting us on every side until we rejoice
in hope. of the glory of God. Look behind
you. What do you see? The forgiveness
of sins. Your sins blotted out like a
thick cloud. Look within. There is now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Look ahead. Look ahead. What do we see? Like
Abraham, the inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled. that never fades
away, reserved in heaven for you. We rejoice in hope of the
glory of God. You know, for so long, we didn't
know whether our daughter, Claire, would live or die, but we did
know she would be delivered, whether it was by life or by
death. What great comfort is in that? Jesus told Martha, as you know,
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me,
though he may die, he shall live. And we'll all die, won't we?
We all will die. But those who have been redeemed
by Christ will never die. Never die! And we knew that to
be the case with Claire. The Lord, in His grace, saved
her many years ago. And we knew she would be delivered.
Whether the Lord delivered her to be with us again for a time,
as I mentioned this morning, or whether it was His will to
take His daughter, His daughter, to be with Him. she would be
delivered, and she would not die, she would live. The Lord
continued, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never
die. God gave his only begotten Son
for her life. Here in Isaiah 43 he says, I
have given men for you, for your life, but we know He gave His
only Son for our lives. And if He would give His Son,
His only begotten Son, the Son of His love for her life, how
would He not freely give her all things? God had created Claire
and formed her for Himself. Look at the emphasis here in
Isaiah 43. Look in verse 1. But now, thus
says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, who formed you, O Israel."
He's the one that created his people for himself. His people,
Israel, the true Israel. And he formed them for himself. And he says, fear not, I have
redeemed you. Look at verse 7. Everyone who
is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory, I have
formed him. Yes, I have made him. And then
down in verse 21, he says it again, "...this people I have
formed for myself." Well, I'll use my daughter as
an example of every believer. In the new birth, Claire's Savior
formed her inward parts, as it were. You know, here she was
in the hospital, just her physical inward parts. so massively damaged
and having such massive surgery and barely clinging to life,
but even on the physical plane, our hope was in the Lord, wasn't
it? Why? Because He's the one that
formed those inward parts, wasn't He? Well, if He formed them,
He could heal them, couldn't He? But how much more true it
is on the spiritual plane, isn't it? He, in the new birth, Claire's
Savior, formed her inward parts. He created her, a new creation,
a spiritual creation in Christ. And yes, her body might die,
but in the resurrection, even this physical body would be raised
in incorruption. raised in glory, raised in power. Her body would be raised, a spiritual
body, in the resurrection. We know that to be true. The
Word of God tells us that. And it's true of everyone whom
the Lord has formed for himself, his people Israel. And when we
come to a knowledge of this, we rest in God. I'm still coming
to that knowledge. But when we come to that knowledge,
we rest in His will for us, whatever His will may be. Whether it's
joy, or whether it's sorrow, whether it's light, or whether
it's darkness, we know that whatever God does is good and right, and
He is full of loving kindness and tender mercies, and that
His ways are better than our ways. We have a true hope. And having
that hope, we lie down in His will. Isn't that a perfect picture? Whatever His
will is, we lie down in His will. We rest in His providence. because we know it's good, and
we have peace. And we say, like Jeremiah, the
Lord is my portion. The Lord is my portion, says
my soul, therefore I hope in Him. Well, then lastly we'll
look at this last point, how certain How certain is the fulfillment
of this promise that we're given here in Isaiah 43? Well, as we've said, it's as certain
as the one who makes the promise. And we can understand that, can't
we? I mean, our faith or our belief in a promise is very much related to the one
who gives that promise, isn't it? And how true it is in this
case. Look, who is it? Who's the one
who fulfills this promise? Verse 11, just look there. I, even I am the Lord, and besides
me there is no Savior. Hear that? Besides me, there
is no Savior. If you're looking for a Savior,
a true Savior, this is the only Savior. This is the only one
you need, the only hope you need, the only help you need. Besides
me, there is no Savior. I have declared and saved, I
have proclaimed, and there was no foreign God among you. Therefore,
you are my witnesses, says the Lord, that I am God. And when
did He begin? Indeed, before the day was, I
am. any day broke upon this earth,
before the earth existed, before the sea, before the stars, before
anything, before any of that time, before the day was, I am
God. Indeed, I am He, and there is
no one who can deliver out of my hand. I work, and who will
reverse it?" That's how certain This promise is that we have.
I, even I am the Lord. He works and it's done. He works and who will reverse
it? He asked that himself. He has
a purpose and he works to bring about that purpose and it's done. And who will reverse it? Well,
Pharaoh thought he would reverse it, didn't he? For the people
of Israel, the natural people of Israel. Pharaoh, the king
of Egypt, with all his power, and all his might, and all his
wisdom, he thought he would reverse it. He would show this God of
Israel, and this people of Israel, this rabble of slaves, he'd show
them who was king. He sent forth the chariot and
the horse. The army and the power. Who sent forth the chariot and
the horse? Who sent forth the army and the
power? The Lord. The Lord! Look at verse 16. The Lord brings forth the chariot
and the horse. Thus says the Lord, who makes
a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters, who brings
forth the chariot and the horse, the army and the power. The Lord
brought forth the chariot and the horse, didn't he? Yes, Pharaoh
thought he did, and he did, but this was all in God's purpose
for his people. The Lord brought forth the chariot
and the horse, the army and the power. In Romans 9, in verse
17, we read, For the Scriptures The scripture says to Pharaoh,
for this purpose I have raised you up. Now, think of that. Who speaks? The Lord speaks,
doesn't he? The Lord of Glory, the Holy One
of Israel. He's speaking, and what does
the word say here? Romans. It says the Scripture
speaks. Even in this we see this is the
Scripture is the Word of God. It's God speaking. Now, He may
have spoken through many different men, through like the prophet
Isaiah or Jeremiah, through Moses, through in the New Testament,
through His apostles. Yes, this Word may be delivered
to us through these men, but this Word is the Word of God. When the Scripture speaks, the
Lord speaks. The Lord of Glory. How that's been forgotten today.
To so many, so many, this is just a book of religion. But this is the Word of God. And we read, For the Scripture
says to Pharaoh, For this purpose I have raised you up, that I
may show my power in you, and that my name may be declared
in all the earth. God sent forth the army and the
power, and God caused them to lie down together under the deep
waters of the Red Sea, never to rise again, extinguished and
quenched like a wick. I, even I, am the Lord. The Lord says, I have declared
Save see that in verse 12. I have declared and saved I have
proclaimed and there was no foreign God among you now the Lord doesn't
suggest salvation He doesn't suggest to you and
I that we may Do something and he'll save us. He doesn't suggest
salvation Did you know that the Lord commands salvation He commands
salvation. Turn to Psalm 71. I want you
to see this. Psalm 71. Don't take my word
for it. And this should be a tremendous
comfort and blessing to any who desire to come to Christ to be
saved. That He commands salvation. You know, you and I might wish
something, It's not going to happen, especially in the spiritual
realm. But if the Lord of Glory commands
salvation, do you think it's going to happen? I think it's
going to happen, don't you? Look here in Psalm 71, and let's
begin reading in, where are we? First verse. In you, O Lord,
I put my trust. Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in your righteousness and cause me to escape. Incline
your ear to me and save me. That's the cry of the one who
comes to Christ for salvation, isn't it? Lord, save me. Save
me. Deliver me. Incline your ear
to me. I cry out of the depths. And
verse 3, be my strong refuge to which I may resort continually. You have given the commandment
to save me." Now that is a wonderful verse, isn't it? You've given
the commandment to save me. And I know if the Lord has given
the commandment to save me, what's going to happen? I'm going to
be saved, aren't I? He's given the commandment to
save, and who will stay His hand? He works, and who will reverse
it? how certain we are of this deliverance. We, you know, don't turn there,
I think we're all familiar with that great passage in Hebrews
chapter 6. And God, the Scriptures are speaking
to us again, giving us a certainty of all that He has accomplished
for His people, for this miserable group of sinners, corrupt, polluted,
dead, in trespasses and sins. And so we look at that and we
think, well, how certain is this promise that He will save us? Save us, these sinners. Well,
He says there, therefore, God, and this is in Hebrews 6, look
at it later, Hebrews 6, thus God determining to show more
abundantly, more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability
of His counsel. What's He saying? The unchangeableness
of what He's purpose to accomplish for His people. And He wants
us to know this. He wants us more abundantly to
know this truth. of the unchangeableness of his
character, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things,
unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie. If God says it, it's done. If
God purposes, it will be accomplished. He is the God who cannot lie. If he says it, it's done. By
two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold of the hope set before us." And there is strong consolation
in that. Why? Listen. As we lay hold of this hope set
before us, this hope, what is it? We have as an anchor for
the soul. Our soul no longer tossed every
which way. by every wind of doctrine, by
circumstances, by sin, by the devil. No, no. We have an anchor
for the soul, both sure and steadfast." What is this hope? What is this
anchor? This is what he says. An anchor
for the soul, both sure and steadfast, in which enters the Presence
behind the veil. Who entered the Presence to make
offering for sin? where our forerunner has entered,
even Jesus, our Savior, entering that presence behind the veil
to make offering for sin and bring in an eternal, eternal
redemption, an irrevocable redemption. He's done it. Have you fled for refuge? Have
you laid hope laid hold of the hope set before you. This hope
is sure and steadfast. This hope we have is an anchor
for the soul. I know that. I know that. This
hope is the forerunner, our substitute, the one who went before us, who
entered for us, even Jesus. Can there be any greater certainty
of the fulfillment of this promise. Here's his son. God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I think
it's a sure promise, don't you? Abraham, the father of all those
who believe, was given the promise that in him all the nations of
the world would be blessed. And Abraham understood, Norm
and I were talking about this, Abraham understood that this
was a temporal promise that was given to him, yes, that he would
be made a great nation, that his descendants, his natural
descendants, would be a great number. He understood
that. But Abraham understood more. It was so much more than that.
Abraham understood that this promise that God was giving him
not only had temporal implications, but above all, spiritual implications. that this was a gospel promise.
The Word of God tells us specifically that. When God spoke this promise
to Abraham, Galatians tells us that the gospel was preached
to Abraham. That God preached the gospel
to Abraham when he gave him this promise. We don't have to wonder
about this. This is a gospel promise. Well,
turn back to Isaiah 43. We'll finish up. But in Romans, as you're doing
that, call to mind what the Word of God tells us in Romans chapter
4 about Abraham. Here's this man, this old man,
and he's childless, with an old wife, and she's barren, 90 years
old or more. And this is what we read about
Abraham. We read, who contrary to hope,
that is, It seemed there was no reason to ever have any hope.
Contrary to hope, in hope believed. This was a promise of God. Sure
and certain, in hope believed, so that he became the father
of many nations according to what was spoken, so shall your
descendants be. And not being weak in faith,
listen, Abraham, and not being weak in faith, Wouldn't that
be wonderful if that was true of every one of us? And not being
weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead since
he was about 100 years old, so he didn't look at the circumstances,
the impossibility of it. How could I, here this man, so
old, and here's my old wife, never had a child, barren, It
can't be. It can't be. Didn't consider
the deadness of Sarah's womb. What did Abraham do? He wavered
not at the promise of God through unbelief. But was strengthened
in faith, giving glory to God. And that's what we do. That's what we do in the faith
that God Himself has given to us. Don't we? This wasn't out
of Abraham's faith. This faith was granted to him
by God. And in that, he gave glory to
God. He wavered not at the promise
of unbelief. And then, being fully convinced
that what he'd promised, he was able also to perform. He believed
in God. He believed God. He believed
the words of God. He believed in God, we read,
who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not
exist as though they did. Abraham was fully convinced that
what God had promised he would perform. The promise of redemption
has been fulfilled. The seed of Abraham, the son
of God, accomplished an abundant Redemption. What God has promised, He's able
also to perform. Not one will be lost. He'll gather
His people. He'll bring them from the ends
of the earth. They will be called by His name. They've been created
for His glory. Look at verse 5 in Isaiah 43.
Fear not. for I am with you. I will bring
your descendants from the east and gather you from the west,
and I will say to the north, give them up, and to the south,
do not keep them back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends
of the earth." Everyone who is called by my
name, whom I have created for my glory, I have formed him,
yes, I have made him." We were a people subject to him
who had the power of death, weren't we? I'm speaking in spiritual
terms now. We were dead. Dead in trespasses
and sins. And we were in fear of death.
and all our lifetime subject to bondage." It's true, isn't it? Why does man have such a fear
of death? It's because he knows he is full
of iniquity. Full of iniquity. And we're in
fear of death and all our lifetime subject to that bondage of sin
that we can never break. That is who we are. Dead. Spiritually dead, as the scripture
teaches us. Dead in trespasses and sins. What kind of wisdom do we have?
None. None. None that matter. Our understanding
is darkened, our hearts are blinded, and worse, were alienated from
the life of God. No access. Cut off entirely from
the life of God. We were a people lost and without
hope. But listen. Look in verse 18. Do not remember the former things,
nor consider the things of old. I like that, do you? Don't remember
the former things. He's speaking to his redeemed,
his redeemed people. Don't remember the former things. I will do a new thing. Now it
shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? Oh, we'll
know it. We'll know it when it happens.
God will do a new thing. The Redeemer will come from Zion,
and He will bring forth a branch of righteousness. And who is
that? The Redeemer. This branch of righteousness,
the Redeemer, and the Spirit of the Lord, our God, will be
upon Him. because the Lord has anointed
him to preach good tidings to the poor. He sent him to heal
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives." Those
are the words that spilled forth from the lips of our Lord Jesus
Christ when he walked into the synagogue that day and they handed
him the book of Isaiah, the scroll of Isaiah. And he turned and
he read and said, today these things are fulfilled in your
sight. Is your heart a wilderness of sin? A desert devoid of righteousness? Is your soul a dry and thirsty
land? A soul without life or hope? Well, look, what does the Word
say? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers
in the desert. Verse 20, the beast of the field
will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give
wars in the wilderness. and rivers in the desert to give
drink to my people, my chosen. He will make a way in the wilderness
for his redeemed. He will send forth his anointed
to do what? To finish the transgression,
to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in an everlasting righteousness for every one of his people whom
God has given to him." Christ has done it all. He's done it all. In his appointed
time, he'll make a way in the wilderness of our sinful hearts.
Oh, would it be that every one of us know that, know that, that
the Lord will make a way in the wilderness of our sinful heart.
He'll do a new thing. He'll make us a new creation
in Christ, and the Holy Spirit will pour out His love into our
hearts. He'll unite us to Christ, and
He'll deliver us out of darkness, out of captivity, out of condemnation,
and into the desert of our hearts will spring what Christ told
that woman of Canaan. rivers, fountains of living water,
springing up into eternal life. We will pass through the waters.
Yes, I'm talking spiritually now. We will pass through the
waters. We will be brought to a place
of deep distress for our own sin, for our unrighteousness,
and we'll in heaviness of heart cry out, like the psalmist, cry
out from the depths, O Lord, if you should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand? But here's the gospel, but there
is forgiveness with you. These are his chosen people.
He'll give drink to them. He'll give them life-giving water.
The Lord has anointed Christ to comfort all who mourn, to
console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise in place
of the spirit of heaviness. We will pass through the waters
in this temporal life, too. We know that. We know that. where
we may cry, like Jeremiah, my strength and my hope have perished
from the Lord." But what should we do? Wait upon
the Lord. Wait upon the Lord. Like the
psalmist, let our soul wait for the Lord, because with Him is
abundant redemption. And then lastly, let's look at
that verse 21. This people I have formed for
myself. They shall declare my praise."
Now, did Abraham declare God's praise? He surely did, didn't
he? And it's the same is true for
us. Not because of our works, but
because of His work in us. The Lord has formed a people
for Himself, and He's purposed that will declare his praise. How sure can we be of this? Well,
we've already seen, because the forerunner has entered for us,
even Jesus. If his purpose that we declare
his praise, will he ever leave us? Will he ever forsake us? It just can't be. It just can't
be. He's our Redeemer, and He's our
Savior. Well, turn to Psalm 16, and we'll
conclude with that. Psalm 16. Here in Psalm 16, we have the
words of the psalmist, but these are the words of Christ. but there are words too." I want
us to read beginning in verse 5, beginning in verse 5, and
I want us to consider, these are the words of Christ, but
there are words too. He's our substitute. When He went to the cross, He
went to the cross for His people. We were in Him through the mystical
union of Christ and the Church. And when the Lord cried that
forlorn cry of aloneness, My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me? Well, that was the cry of the
Church in Him. Those were our words. These words here in the Psalm
16 are the words of Christ in the midst of his unimaginable
suffering, an anguish that we can't comprehend
and never will be able to comprehend. And he speaks these words. But
there are words too, because those redeemed are in him. As I read these, think of that. Because of Christ, our substitute,
and the abundant redemption that he's accomplished, these words
are our words. Oh Lord, you are the portion
of my inheritance in my cup. You maintain my lot. The lines
have fallen to me in pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance."
And just think of that for a minute as Christ is speaking those words.
Here He is about to go to the cross in great anguish of soul,
troubled soul, as He says Himself. But what does He think? The picture here is the inheritance
of land that's marked out by lines. And is it a good, is this
a piece, this land, is it worth anything? It doesn't look like much, does
it? This pitiful people of Israel. Doesn't look like much of an
inheritance. Is it worth it? Is it worth it? What does he
say? The lines have fallen to me in
pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance. Isn't that wonderful to think
that the Lord, our Redeemer and our Savior looks upon us and
all that He suffered for us is worth it. Not just worth it,
He looks upon us as a goodly inheritance. That's grace, isn't
it? Verse 7, I will bless the Lord
who has given me counsel. My heart also instructs me in
the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before
me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore, therefore, my heart
is glad. and my glory rejoices, my flesh
will also rest in hope." Yes, he'll go through this suffering,
this anguish, this darkness, the like which we will never
do because he did it for us. He'll go through it, yes. But
for you will not, nevertheless, my flesh will also rest in hope. In the grave, his flesh will
rest in hope. Why? For you will not leave my
soul in jail, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life, and your presence is fullness
of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Amen. Let's stand one more time and
turn the blue handle to number 200. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now
am found, Was blind, but now I see. When we've been there
10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days
to sing God's praise than when we first begun. I'm glad you
were here. that you have a few minutes
this afternoon. We're going to be serving lunch
in just a few minutes. And have some fellowship from
Greek brother, Lance, if you would. Let's go to the Lord in
prayer by the mic. Thank you, Jesus. Mighty God,
thanks for the time to be here. Thanks for the word that was
brought forth. Thanks for the sureness of your promises and
all the blessings of the Lord. I just pray that your word would
go out and accomplish your purpose. And I just thank you again for
the gospel, for Isaiah here, and I just pray you bless it
according to your purpose. I didn't turn it off.