All right, I'm gonna go ahead
and get started. So if you'll turn with me to Isaiah 12. Isaiah
12. One of the weeks where we were,
couldn't make it here and everything, I just heard somebody read this
passage of scripture reading and it just touched me. Now before I read this, Isaiah
12, if you read some of the chapters following up to this, you'll
see that a couple of times, a few times, it says, God anger is
not turned away, but his hand is still outstretched. That's
what it says. And it talks about how he's going
to destroy all these people. But I want to read, if you'll
hold your place there, let's go back, I want to read some
of these verses just before this. Isaiah 7, verse 14. Isaiah 7, verse 14. Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. Now turn to
Isaiah 9, 6. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Now Isaiah 10 verses 20 through
22. And it shall come to pass in
that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped
of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that
smoked them, but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel,
in truth. The remnant shall return, even
the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people
Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall
return. The consumption decreed shall
overflow with righteousness." Now Isaiah 11, 1-4 And there shall come forth a
rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall
rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the Lord, and shall make him of quick understanding
in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after
the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of
his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite
the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of
his lips shall he slay the wicked. So, when we read this and we
see God's anger is not turned away and you start reading some
of these passages, it just seems kind of like a crescendo. It's
building up to this one point until we get to Isaiah 12 here.
So now let's read Isaiah 12. It's very short. Isaiah 12. And in that day thou shalt say,
O Lord, I will praise thee, though thou wast angry with me. Thine
anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is
my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid,
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become
my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw
water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say,
praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among
the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto
the Lord, for he hath done excellent things. This is known in all
the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant
of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of
thee. When we read this passage, there's
first of all a lot here, so I'm not going to exhaust it all.
But there are some things I will try to draw out from the text,
some thoughts on this text. The one thing I want to draw
out from the text is the result of what has been done. So what
happens when God does what he does? Verse four. And in that
day shall ye say, praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare
his doings among the people, make mention that his name is
exalted. Praise the Lord. When he does
what he does, It does not cause me to start
talking about myself or praising myself. Nor does it cause me
to start praising other fallen sinners. What I say is this, praise the
Lord. I also direct others who I say
this to, to call on him. And here's what I want to hone
in on. What do we declare specifically? Do we declare our doing? Regardless
if we have doings or not, we do have doings, but doing of
our own, what are they worth? Ephesians 2, 1 through 5, we
read, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
in sins, wherein in time past ye walked. our way of life, our
doings. According to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among
whom also we all had our conversation, again, to busy oneself, our way
of life. in times past in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace,
are you saying? The scripture does say we are
ordained to good works, the same passage, verse 10, for we are
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. This is true. Whoever this we
is do walk, have their way of life in these works, but even
there we can see the source, the enabler, if you will. We
can see that we can do nothing of ourselves. So what do we declare? His doings among the people.
His doings are what matter. We can see why, why that is from
the rest of the text. But we have one more thing here.
Make mention that his name is Exalted. Now turn over with me
to Philippians 2, Philippians 2. Philippians 2 and I want to read
9 through 11. Wherefore, God also hath highly
exalted him, we're talking about Christ, and given him a name
which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. There's one's name who should
be exalted, and it isn't Paul Pendleton. It's not even Paul
the Apostle. The preacher's name is not to
be exalted. The congregants' names are not
to be exalted. I know Earl has said this before,
and Joan Walters probably repeated it, but Earl would say sometimes
that this world's religion is nothing more than a social network
where people gather together to speak about how well they
did. Our name is not to be exalted. It is His name that is to be
exalted above all others, and that is an above to which no
other name even compares. It's kind of like, you know,
when you're driving along the highway and you're looking for
a store. You can't really see the store, but you see this sign
that's way lifted up and stuff. It's kind of what I'm talking
about. Just to be clear, I'm not saying that we cannot and
should not be thankful to God for your pastor or for the congregants.
We should be thankful to God if he gives us a pastor who has
been made faithful to God's word. We should be thankful to God
if he gives us congregants who he has made faithful to his word.
Because if he doesn't do that, we won't have it. This faithfulness
is to God and to those God has given to be with us, both. What
did Paul say in 1 Thessalonians 1, 6? And ye became followers
of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction
with joy of the Holy Ghost. But this is all about cause and
effect. We are thankful for both, but
we glorify one. So let's go through this and
glean some things about this one we exalt. So we read here
where it says, in that day, what day? The day when our Lord brings
us over dry shod from our bondage. This he did when he died on that
tree, but we don't see this as we're born in Adam. The day is
the day when he opens our eyes to see what he did on that day. He did the work to dry up all
the wrath of God against me, and then he personally comes
to me to lead me over, dry shot. We know we read this in scripture,
John 12, 32. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men to me. These two things go together. If he was lifted up for you,
he will draw you to himself. If he draws you to himself, he
was lifted up for you. Who does he do this for? Very
familiar, 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 am chief. What does that cause me
to say when he does this or when he has done this to me? Oh, Lord. This old Lord is an exclamation
of what he has done, and in seeing what he has done, we see what
we are and what we have done. It certainly causes us shame
at times, but it causes us to want to praise him. Not ourselves,
we praise him. We come to know that though he
was angry with me, thy anger is turned away. God was angry
with me and he had the right to be angry with me because I
am such that would defile him as I am born in air. But somehow
his anger is turned away. I did not change to cause him
to do this. I didn't do anything to cause
him to do this. I couldn't. I had wrath toward
him just like everyone else. Yet he tells us his anger is
turned away. Not only that, it says, he comforted
me. It's like he pulled me in close
to his bosom. You know how you pull a child
close to you and stuff? But it's like he pulled me in
close to his bosom and said to me personally, fear not, mine
anger is turned away from thee. How comforting is it to know
that God himself comforts us He lets us know he has taken
care of his wrath and has appeased his wrath. He consoles his people. Next, we see why this can be
said. It starts with these words. Behold,
that is, see this with amazement. Stop, look, and listen to this. God, my salvation. That tells the story right there,
but we're gonna talk about it some more. The only place salvation
can be found is in the face of God, and whose face is it that
we see? Jesus Christ the Lord, the God-man. 2 Corinthians 4, 6, we read,
for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That will cause
me to trust and not be afraid. He is in absolute sovereign control. No one or no thing can stay his
hand or say unto him, what are you doing? If what he says is,
and it is, and that's what we read in Isaiah
46, 11. calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth
my counsel from a far country, yea, I have spoken it, I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I will also
do it. What worries and concerns do
I have? He is my strength, and his strength is in his word,
and his word is Jesus Christ. What he says is so. He manifested
His love and His power in what He did for me. But next we read
something that seems like a repetition, but it isn't. He also has become
my salvation. We are already told He is salvation. I'm sure most have heard this
before, but some have even said it before. God said it, I believe
it, so it's so. That's a lie. God said it, so
it's so, whether I believe it or not, and that's just how it
is. He is salvation, whether I know
it or not, whether I believe it or not. There was a time when
I did not know this. I had wrath toward God and his
son, and in fact, not only did I not know salvation, I absolutely
did not want salvation, even though I thought I did. But in
that day when he comforts me, he becomes my salvation. What a comfort that is. Can you
see the water coming up? Verse three. Therefore with joy
shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. That sweet
well of salvation. It is because he is salvation
that I go to him for salvation. What does it say? With joy shall
we draw water out of the way, that spring of water that never
fails. Isaiah 58, 11, I like this. And the Lord shall guide thee
continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones
and thou shalt be like a water garden and like a spring of water
whose waters fail not. What did we already read? God
my salvation. So the well has to be God, right?
Because this is from the well of salvation. If then we are
drawing water from that well and that well of salvation is
God, what are we going to talk about? Turn with me to John 4,
John 4. John 4, and I'm just gonna read
verses 10 through 14. John 4, verses 10 through 14.
Jesus answered and said unto her, if thou knowest the gift
of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink, thou
wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living
water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that
living water? Art thou greater than our father
Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and
his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto
her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst. but the water that I shall give
him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. We ask of him and he continues
to provide because the water he gives from his well is a well
of water in you springing up into everlasting life. So what
are we going to talk about? First, we will praise Him. How
do we do this? We declare His doings among the
people, not ours, His. I know I'm repeating myself,
but it bears being repeated. We do this because His name is
to be exalted, because He is salvation, and He has become
our salvation. Even that has consequences, good
consequences, but consequences nonetheless. What does that cause? It causes us to sing, verse five
back in our text. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath
done excellent things. This is known in all the earth. Ephesians 5.19, speaking to yourselves
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord. Because he has done excellent
things. He has done things in such a
way that I have nothing left that I need to do. He said, it
is finished. And I wad. And it was so. We read of a woman here in John
4 who was a know-it-all at least at first. But there was a day. That day for this woman we read
right here. This day is when he would give
her water from a well that would never dry up. And think on this,
you will never have to draw it up. It is a spring in you. It is given to you by our salvation
if you have it at all. This well is the knowledge of
salvation and that salvation being Jesus Christ the Lord.
What did this woman then begin to do? She went and published
it abroad. She began to say some things.
Did she speak of herself in an exalting manner? What did she
say? I can imagine she may have thought,
it does not say this, but I can imagine she may have thought,
I thought I knew something. But here's what she said, but
this man told me everything that I ever did. What he told me is, what I do
is worth nothing, and what he does is worth everything. He
shows me that what I do is offensive to God. He shows me I know nothing. You preacher, you know nothing,
but you're preaching. I don't even know the half of
it. We do speak that which we do know, but we only know because
it has been revealed to us by our salvation. He knows everything
and he does everything. Eyes I am born of Adam have no
way, no capability to worship God as he should be worshipped.
He must do something for me and to me. What does he go on to
tell this woman in John 4 verses 21 through 24? Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain
nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship ye know
not what. We know what we worship for salvation
is of the Jews, but the hour cometh and now is when the true
worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth,
for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is spirit and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. There came a day when Christ
did what he came to do. He died for poor lost sinners
who know nothing and can do nothing of themselves. He purged our
sins and then he sat down at the right hand of God making
intercession for us. There also comes that day when
he visits us in love, Ezekiel 16, 8, the first part of it.
Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, the
time was the time of love. And that's God's love toward
us. He comes to comfort his people, becoming their salvation, because
he is salvation. He causes them to become spirit. I know this world talks a lot
about being spiritual. They will say so and so is a
spiritual person, but it's not long that it's manifested. They
know nothing of God or of salvation. It does not take long when you
hear them worship the creature rather than the creator. We are
not spiritual as we are born in Adam. We have no way to become
spiritual. God must breathe life into our
soul. Lazarus, come forth. Do you think Lazarus still laid
there? I think I'll just lay here and stink a little bit longer.
No, what did he do? He came up out of that grave,
walking. He must do something for us and
to us before we can ever worship God at all. When he does, it
does in no way point us to ourselves. We do not begin to start speaking
about ourselves or others. We begin to speak what little
we know of Him and desiring to know more of Him. We praise Him. The last verse, and I'm gonna
end with this. Cry out and shout, thou unhappy
of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of
thee. Christ tells us that where two
or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. And there's only one thing left
that I can say to that, and that is, amen, so be it. Thank you, dear Lord God, for
allowing us to be here. We're undeserving creatures,
dear Lord, but your graciousness is so much, dear Lord. And we thank you for it, dear
Lord, for all the things that you've given us. Even the physical
things, dear Lord, we're thankful for those things that you've
given us, because if you didn't give it, we wouldn't have it.
Be with us as we go out and walk. Work in us, dear Lord, to walk
after your ways. All these things we ask in Christ's
name. Amen.