A Call to Importunity

Q: What does the Bible say about God's promise to save His elect?

The Bible affirms that God will not rest until His purpose of grace towards His elect is fulfilled, as seen in Isaiah 62:1. Isaiah 62:1 reveals God's unwavering commitment to the salvation of His chosen people. The Lord promises, 'For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest' until His righteousness and salvation are fully manifested. This passage speaks volumes about the divine assurance of grace that covers God's elect, indicating that His purpose is anchored in His own glory and the ultimate joy of redeeming His church. Throughout Scripture, we see God's covenant faithfulness that assures us that He will accomplish the salvation of His people, fulfilling His promise to present them faultless before His glory.

Q: How do we know that God is always working for the salvation of His chosen people?

God's relentless commitment to saving His elect is guaranteed by His own divine nature and His promises, as shown in Isaiah 62:6-7. The nature of God is such that He is unwavering in His determination to redeem His chosen. Isaiah 62:6-7 emphasizes this by presenting a call for believers to keep no silence and to give Him no rest until His righteousness is established. The consistency of God's character assures us that He will accomplish His purpose of grace. This is reinforced by the idea that if even one chosen sinner was lost, it would compromise God's glory, which He will not allow. Therefore, the assurance lies in God's promise and His faithfulness to fulfill what He has ordained: the salvation of His elect.

Q: Why is the concept of God's glory important for Christians?

God's glory is central to salvation, as our ultimate purpose is to reflect His glory by proclaiming His grace and saving His people. The pursuit of God's glory is paramount for Christians. As emphasized in the sermon, our primary object is to glorify God above all else, which should drive our evangelistic efforts. The glory of God is intertwined with the salvation of His elect; every effort made to proclaim the gospel aims at exalting His name and bringing Him praise. Rather than merely seeking numbers or societal acceptance, we are called to focus on the establishment of His kingdom, ensuring that our actions reflect His majesty and righteousness. This approach honors God and aligns with His ultimate purpose, which is the glorification of His name during the redemptive work.

Q: What is the role of believers in sharing the gospel?

Believers are commanded to be active witnesses of Christ and to share the gospel everywhere as part of their responsibility. According to the sermon, every believer bears the responsibility to share the light of the gospel. The Great Commission, as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20, explicitly commands that as we go about our daily lives, we are to preach the gospel to all nations. This task is not only reserved for pastors or missionaries; it is a universal mandate for all who profess faith in Christ. Each believer is called to be a witness and an instrument of God's grace, proclaiming the salvation accomplished through Jesus. Regardless of your circumstances, every opportunity to share the gospel is a divinely ordained chance to fulfill this charge.

Q: How can we be assured that our efforts in evangelism are effective?

Our labor is assured to yield results because it is grounded in God's unchanging promise that He will save His people. Understanding that God will save His elect provides profound motivation for evangelism. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God's word will not return void; it will accomplish what He pleases. This means that when we share the gospel, we participate in a guaranteed outcome orchestrated by God Himself. The efficacy of our efforts does not hinge on our capabilities or the visible results we may see but on the certainty of God's promise. Knowing that there are chosen individuals who will respond to the call of the gospel encourages us to remain steadfast in our witness, trusting that as we preach Christ, God is actively working to save His people.

Isaiah chapter 62. In the opening verses of this chapter, the Lord our God promises that he will not rest until his purpose of grace toward his elect has been fulfilled. He says in verse 1, For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest. until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

And the Gentiles, that is, the nations of the world, shall see thy righteousness, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all kings thy glory, the glory of God revealed in the gospel. And thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name, and thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Now, in those verses, the Lord God assures us that His very being, in all the fullness of His glory, power, wisdom, and greatness, is set, His very heart, if I can use such language, is set upon the salvation and the ultimate glory of his church.

His purpose, the purpose of his very being is the salvation and glory of his chosen. There is never a moment when the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ does not beat with the desire for the salvation of his redeemed ones. He set his face like a flint to go up to Mount Calvary that he might redeem us with his own precious blood. And he is equally adamant with the quenchless zeal with regard to the salvation of his people. He has in all that he does from everlasting this one thing in mind.

We read in Proverbs chapter 8 that his delights were with us before the world began. So that before time began, before God made this world, our Savior looked upon us with delight. in the anticipation of that day when we would be presented faultless before the throne of His glory, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in the sight of our God. The scripture tells us that when our Lord Jesus came into this world, He came to save His people from their sins, so that that was the object that was in His heart, that was the goal for which He came, to save His people from their sins.

When He went up to Calvary, He endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy that was set before Him. That is, for the blessing, joy, and satisfaction of seeing His redeemed with Him at last in glory. For that He endured the cross. Now He exercises the power of sovereign dominion as King over the universe, having power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him.

And the time has come. when the Lord Jesus Christ will at last present all his redeemed. Every chosen sinner, before God Almighty, He will present the kingdom up to the Father and say, Lo, I am the children which God hath given me, and God shall be all in all. So that the salvation of God's elect, the salvation of every chosen sinner, the salvation of God's church in its entirety, somehow is wrapped up with God's glory in its ultimate manifestation in all His creation. In other words, Larry, if even one of them is lost, God loses his glory. If even one chosen sinner perishes, God Almighty ceases to have a right to praise. His glory is wrapped up in the saving of his people.

And so he says, I will not rest. I will give no silence until this thing is accomplished. And now, in our text this evening, God our Savior calls for every one of us to be joined in union with him in this matter. Look what it says in verse 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace, day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence.

If you have a marginal translation in your Bible, Ye that are the Lord's remembrances keep not silence, and give him no rest till he establish, establish what? Establish his righteousness in his church, until he establish his church and kingdom in this world, till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, until God has finally established in a new heavens and a new earth his church in its ultimate perfection and its ultimate glory. Now here the Lord God tells us that he would have us to have our hearts set upon the salvation of his people, just like his is. He would have us to have our hearts set upon the salvation of his people, just as his is. He would have us to be as passionate and devoted and consecrated to the goal of the saving of his people as he is passionate, devoted, and consecrated to this goal of saving his people.

Now, with those things in mind, let me show you these three things, and then we'll look at our text. First, understand that it is our responsibility, yours and mine as believers, to spread the light of the gospel through all the world, through all the world.

If there were no other people in the world to do it, it would be our responsibility alone. If none of you were here to join and help me in the work, it would be my responsibility. If no one else were here but you, it would be your responsibility. Yours assumed entirely by yourself to spread the gospel through all the world to the extent that God gives you the ability and the opportunity to do it. Now that's our responsibility.

Our Lord Jesus says to his disciples, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Go as you're going as pilgrims through this strange, dark, dark land. Diffuse the light of free grace. Diffuse the light of righteousness. Proclaim to sinners everywhere how that salvation is accomplished through Jesus Christ the Lord. That's the marching orders the Son of God gives us as he ascends back into heaven.

Hold your hands here and turn to Matthew chapter 28. Look at it for yourself. Matthew 28. We often look at these verses of scripture and the ones like them in Mark and Luke and we say, well, this is this is the Lord giving the Great Commission. And in a sense, it is.

But at the same time, it is our Lord simply describing to us what our responsibility is in this world. He's telling us what we must do as believers in this world. He's not he's not saying you go and be a missionary in Africa. He's not saying you go and preach the gospel in this part of the world or in that part. But he's saying as you go through the world.

As you make your journey, as you make your pilgrimage through this world, you who are carpenters and teachers and you who are housewives and husbands and children, as you make your way through this world, knowing the living God, go ye therefore and teach, verse 19, teach all nations.

Teach them what? Teach them who Christ is and what he did. Teach them the word of God. Teach them the gospel of his grace. Baptizing them. in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." And he gives this promise, and, lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world.

Do you see that now? Pastor, I'm not called to be a preacher. Oh, yes, you are. Oh, yes, you are. You may not be called to be a pastor or a public preacher of the word. You may not be gifted for that work, and you must not assume that work on yourself, but every child of God is called of God to be his witness, his missionary. So Bobby Estes is as much a missionary as Walter Brewer. That's your responsibility. Walter just happens to be living in Mexico. You live over there in Grand Canyon. That's the only difference. Walter's gifted in an awfulest capacity as a preacher.

You're gifted as God's servant, God's witness where you are. You're responsible to diffuse the light of the gospel as God gives you opportunity. Not only is that our responsibility to publish salvation everywhere, but it is our responsibility in doing so, to do so with these two objects in mind. Two objects.

And it's absolutely essential that we have them in the right order and in the right perspective. Why give ourselves to this work? Why labor so hard? Why sacrifice? Why give yourself to the business of making known the gospel of Jesus Christ in your neighborhood, in your community, in this generation in which we live? Why do that?

For the glory of God. for the glory of God. We seek to promote God's praise. We seek to exalt the name of the Lord our God in the eyes of men so that God Himself is praised by the people who ought to praise Him, all His creation. So that we proclaim who God is, that men may praise and worship Him.

Our primary object, our primary object is not the saving of men. Our primary object is not to get folks into the kingdom. Our primary object is our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. That's the primary thing. Don't ever, ever, ever compromise that. Don't ever do it. As a local church, as a pastor, as individuals, we must always hold this one thing prominent and preeminent.

God's glory. God's glory. We will not compromise God's glory to get folks to come and worship here. We will not compromise God's glory to see if we can't maybe chisel off the rough edges of the gospel, and that'll open a door here, that'll open a door there. Oh, no. We will not compromise God's glory for any reason, for to compromise God's glory is to defeat the very purpose of our existence. We seek His glory, number one. We're seeking the salvation of his people. Not the salvation of the world. That's not our object. We're not seeking that everybody should be saved. That's not God's object and that's not our object.

What are you seeking then? We're seeking the salvation of God's elect. We're seeking the Lord's sheep. We're seeking that God should call out for himself a people for the glory of his name, that he should establish his kingdom in this world, that he should save every chosen sinner, every redeemed one. And so we go through the world proclaiming the gospel for the glory of God's name, for the saving of his people, and the two things are wrapped up with one another.

Understand that? That's our object. Now, what will inspire us to do it? What argument can I use to persuade you and persuade me to put our shoulders to the work? What argument can I use to stir up our souls to the business of evangelizing the world? What argument can be given that will reach the depth of your being and make you consecrate yourself to this work?

I believe I've found the best there is. God said, I'll do it. It's God's will. It's going to be done. It's going to be done. What greater reason can there be to put your hand to any work than the blessed assurance that the work which you seek to do shall be done and nothing shall enter it. Nothing shall enter it. Our object is God's glory. God shall be glorified. Our object is the saving of God's elect. God's elect shall be saved. God himself said, I will not rest until it's done. I will not keep silent until it's done. I will not cease to work until it's done. Oh then, now we have something to inspire our souls in this work.

In the first part of this chapter, the Lord God promises that he will save his elect. And in these two verses, he challenges us to seek the salvation of those who have been chosen, ordained, and predestinated to salvation. I can think of no greater inspiration for the preaching of the gospel than this. God's going to save his people. God's going to save his people. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return to be void. but it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." So then we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.

There are some sinners in this world who bust and shall be saved. Some of them happen to live here. Some of them live around the corner from you. Some of them live across the water. But there are some people in this world who must be saved, and God's going to save them. God's going to save them.

I can think of nothing in the world, I can think of nothing in the universe to compare with the opportunity and the privilege of being an instrument by which God's pleased to save opinion. Oh, if God would let me, if God would let you, if God would let us the instruments in his hand for the calling out of his elect. What a privilege. What a privilege.

God's chosen them. That means they're going to be saved. Christ has redeemed them. He shall not fail. That means every redeemed sinner shall be saved. And God has ordained to save them through the foolishness of preaching, through the instrumentality of gospel preaching. That's the only way. That's the only way any sinner will ever be saved. The only way.

Brother Obey, Williams sitting over the house talking to me last week. God saved him a few months ago. And I've known him since he's just a little shaker. He said to me, Mom and Dad taught me one thing early. They taught me God's going to save me. It's going to be through the word. So I better not miss opportunity to hear the word. If he's going to save me, it's going to be through the preaching of the gospel. Now listen to me, my friends.

If God's going to save folks, and he is, he'll do it through the preaching of the gospel. Not through false religion, not through the deceit and darkness and delusion of this world, not through just somehow folks happen to stumble across the Bible and start reading it, but God is ordained by the foolishness of preaching. The foolishness of simply, in plain, ordinary language, explaining to men and women who Christ He is and what He did. God has chosen by that means to save them that believe.

Now then, it is our duty to preach the gospel to everybody. It's our duty. In order to accomplish the salvation of His people, the Lord God has set watchmen upon the walls of Zion. to warn sinners of wrath and show them the way of salvation in life by Christ Jesus.

And these three verses, or these two verses, I want to show you three things. First, a responsible calling. And then a remarkable caution. And finally, a rousing challenge. I will give them to you as quickly as I can. May God, the Holy Spirit, give me your attention and be our teacher. First, our text describes the work of God's servants in a threefold way as a responsible calling.

In these two verses, God's prophets, pastors, gospel preachers, missionaries, evangelists, all those who were set aside by God for the work of the ministry, are described as watchmen, spokesmen, and remembrances. He says, I have set watchmen upon thy walls. He says, ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, spokesman for God. And in the marginal translation, he calls us remembrances. You that are the Lord's remembrances, keep not silence. Now, these three descriptions of work represent the work to which every gospel preacher is called. These three things is what a pastor is responsible to do. A man's called and gifted of God for the work of the ministry. This is what he's to do.

And yet, at the same time, it is the work and responsibility of every one of you who are believers. So as I describe the work that God has given me to do in all His capacity as His servant, I'm describing the work God's given you to do as well in the capacity which He has put in you. It is as much your duty, you see. It is as much your duty. to make Christ known as it is mine. Do you understand that? It is as much your duty to make Christ known as it is mine. Now let's look at this very responsible calling.

First, God's servants are watchmen upon the walls of Zion. The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 4, if you want to turn there, In 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 16, he gives Timothy these reasons for giving himself wholly to the work of the ministry. He said, Timothy, give attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Neglect not the gifts in you. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly unto them. And in verse 16 he says, take heed unto thyself and to the doctrine. continue in them, for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

How on earth is that to be understood in the light of God's sovereignty? We believe salvation is of the Lord. I recognize that. I think you're fully aware of how firmly I believe that. And at the same time, we recognize that God has chosen, through the foolishness of preaching, to save His elect. And that means that there is a matter of eternal consequence in this business of preaching. There's a matter of eternal consequence.

I sit here for the saving of your soul. I'm sent here for the saving of God's elect. No, I can't save anyone, but instrumentally, this is the means by which God saves sinners, so I am responsible under God to give myself entirely to this work, and to nothing else. The Apostle Paul says, necessities laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel, because this is God's means of saving your soul.

Turn over to Ezekiel 33. Let's look at this passage concerning the watchman again. There's several that we could look at. You might want to read chapter 3 of Ezekiel, but here in Ezekiel 33, and in verse 7, God had been describing what the work of a watchman is.

In old times, A city would be built and they'd have walls built around the city. And especially when there are times of danger, they don't always have a sentinel. They don't always have someone posted to watch for any kind of danger that might be coming. But whenever there were times of war, whenever there was a time of an encroaching enemy, they had watchmen posted every hour of the day upon the walls of the city. And it was the duty of the watchman to look out, to watch, to watch carefully. And anytime he saw danger approaching to pick up his trumpet and give a blast to the trumpet, that was his duty. That was all he was to do. He was responsible for nothing else. Just blow the trumpet. That's all. Let us know danger's coming. Now, if he did it, if he did it and folks ignored it, that wasn't his responsibility. That wasn't his responsibility.

I'm calling you to repentance and faith in Christ. I tell you the danger of God's judgment. I tell you the wrath of God's upon you if you're out of Christ. I urge you to flee for refuge to Jesus Christ the Lord. If you don't, that's not my responsibility. That's not my responsibility. I can't make you flee. I can't do it. I just blast the trumpet, that's all. Just keep on blasting the trumpet.

But if the watchman, because of carelessness, because he wanted to spend a little extra time with his family, because he got a little hungry, wanted to run down to Burger King, get him a hamburger, or because he wanted to put aside a little security for himself, of the cause he wanted to entertain himself.

If the watchman was found asleep at his post and didn't sound the warning, Rex, that watchman, was guilty of the blood of all who died. He was guilty. As guilty as if he had killed himself. He was guilty. And it was proper, and it was just, that the watchman should be put to death. And he was. He was. Now, this is the picture God gives us. Look in verse 7. Here's the city of God right here. Here it is. So thou, O son of man, I have sent thee a watchman unto the house of Israel.

Therefore thou shalt hear the word in my mouth, and warn them from When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. Necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, If he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity.

But thou hast delivered thyself." This is what Paul said to the Ephesian elders. He said, I'm pure from the blood of all men. I've not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Therefore, O thou Son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Saying to them as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.

Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? You go without Christ, why? Why on earth will you die? Why will you perish when life is right here? Why would you die when mercy is right here? Why would you die? God reasons like that. Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, thy righteousness, the righteousness of the righteous, shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. What? You think you've done pretty good. You think you're upright. You think you're moral. You think, well, you know, I'm not like old Joe. I'm not like, I'm not like you propogate fellows. I'm not like you harlots and whoremongers. I'm not like you drunks and dopeheads. No, I'm a pretty good Joe. I'm something.

But if you commit one transgression, all your goodness will not deliver you. God won't look at your good works as you imagine, but God will look at your iniquity and your iniquity will demand your death. And as for the wicked, as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness. Neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sent When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, if he trusts in his own righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered. But his iniquity that he hath committed, for that he shall die, he shall die for it. Again, I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die.

If he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, if the wicked restore the pledge and give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall live and he shall not die." He said, well, God, I can't do that. How can I turn and restore to God what I robbed from him? How can I walk uprightly without committing iniquity so that I may live?

Trust Christ. That's all. Trust Christ. He has restored what we robbed. He has walked uprightly and not committed iniquity. And all who trust Him have restored all that they have robbed of God. And they have walked uprightly and not committed iniquity.

The watchman is set of God to warn sinners of judgment and urge them to flee to Christ, proclaiming life and salvation in Him. Watchmen are given their post, and placed where God would have them, by God's hand. God says, I have set watchmen upon thy walls, all Jerusalem. I have said. Preachers would be wise. Preachers would be wise, and God's servants do. They will be wise to seek God's will and to wait on God's will as they pursue their place of service in his kingdom and be still where God puts them.

Just be still. Just be still. I get calls from people, fairly regular. Want to know if I've got any interest in going here, going there, doing this, doing that? No, no, no. I'm where God had me to be. But, you know, this to be had, that doesn't matter. That just doesn't matter.

God put me where he had me to be, given me the opportunity in ministry to serve him in this place with this people. And God puts his watchman where he would have them. The watchman's place is upon the walls of Jerusalem, the church of God. His place is in the pulpit. His place is in the house of God.

To declare the truth of God. To warn of impending dangers. To call sinners to repentance. To protect believers from the dangerous attacks from without. To reprove, correct, and comfort God's saints. Turn over to the psalm of Solomon for a moment. Psalm of Solomon chapter 5. You familiar with the passage?

The church is portrayed as a neglectful wife. And the Lord Jesus has withdrawn himself and hidden himself. She says, I opened, verse six, to my beloved, but he, my beloved had withdrawn himself. Went about the city, found me. The watchman that walked on the walls of Zion, they found me. And when they found me, They smoked me. They wounded me. The keepers of the wall took away my veil from me.

You know what that means? That's exactly what it means. He says, I came to the house of God. I listened to the word in my cold heart. So hard, so indifferent, so callous. God's servant opened the book and when he began to speak, The Word of God spoke to me. And the Word of God, in the power of God's Spirit, wounded me. And the Word of God took away all my excuses and exposed my sin to me. Oh, you give thanks to God when His Word does that to you. Give thanks to God.

Don't be upset with the watchman. That's what he's there for. Don't get upset with the messenger, that's what he's there for, to expose your sin, to expose your corruption, to expose your guilt, to expose your indifference, so that you may flee again to Christ the beloved, and find him, and be embraced in him, and embrace him.

And faithful watchmen never hold their peace. Our text says, keep not silent by day nor by night, never hold their peace, day nor night. The watchman is needed most especially at night. And in these dark, dark, dark nights of desolation, the watchman must be faithful. It's easy enough to preach and tell the truth in season. Oh, but out of season is another story. It's easy enough to preach the word when folks will hear, but But when they will forbear, that's another story. But the watchman will not be disliked. The watchman, said of God on the walls of Zion, will not be turned from the truth. The work of the watchman demands the indiligence and total commitment, because the souls of men are at stake, and the glory of God is at stake.

And then God's servants are here described as spokesmen. Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence. All gospel preachers, men called of God to the work of the minister, are gifted to speak for him. And in their preaching they constantly make mention of the Lord, directing the hearts of those who hear them to the Lord God, so that the preacher constantly talks about his master.

That's what he's here for. The preacher is a messenger. And he comes with a message concerning the Savior, directing folks to the Savior. His object is not to get folks to look at him and hear him and be impressed with him and follow him. Oh no! His object is to get folks to look away from him to the Master. That's his object. He's not seeking disciples after himself, but rather disciples for the Savior.

So we come and proclaim God's character. God's servants. are taken up with and overwhelmed with his character, his attributes, his justice and his goodness, his mercy and his truth, his righteousness and his faithfulness, his immutability and his steadfastness. God's servants are taken up with his character and declare who he is. They publish his works in creation, in providence, and particularly in salvation, declaring to sinners how that God through Christ saves sinners according to the merits of Christ's righteousness and in accordance with his strict justice.

I issue a challenge. I keep issuing it. I give it to folks all the time. preachers and, you know, this fellow, well, he tells a little truth and this fellow, he tells a little truth. The religious world in which we live in is totally engulfed in religious darkness. Now, I'll give you a challenge. I'll give you a challenge.

One of these days when you're sitting at home during the day and you want something to do that will be enlightening to you, go through the telephone book and find preachers and churches. Any of them. Any town in America. Just find churches and churches and start calling them and ask them this one question.

Why did Christ die? Why was it necessary for Christ to die? And I guarantee you, you won't find one in 100 who knows why. They don't know why. They don't know the character of God. They don't know that God's justice must be satisfied. They don't know that those for whom justice has been satisfied must be saved, because God's just and God's true. They don't understand why it was necessary for Christ to die, and so they take tenets.

God's watchmen publish his works and declare to men and women Why Christ died, what Christ accomplished in his death, and how it is that sinners are saved and justified by the doing and dying of the Son of God. God's spokesmen are men who promote his praise. They seek the praise of God. He saves men for his name's sake, and his spokesmen come and say, give praise to him. They promote God's praise. And then God's servants are described as his remembrances.

I realize that's in the marginal reference, but I like it so good I couldn't leave it out. That's what preachers are, and that's what you are who are his witnesses, remembrances. It is our duty and our privilege to keep up the memory of our God before That is, never to let folks forget who he is and what he's done. But I got to studying this thing of remembrances in a king's court, and I found that remembrances in a king's court had two distinct functions. In the Eastern world, in the Orient, in ancient kingdoms, remembrances had this responsibility It was their duty to remind the people of their duty to the king.

That was their business. They were constantly to tell the people what their duty is to the king. Now that's what we're to do. We're to proclaim to everybody Jesus Christ is king and it's your duty, it is your responsibility to bow to him, to believe him, to love him. It's your responsibility. But then in the western world, in the ancient kingdoms, the king's remembrancer, that man who was in the king's court, whose work was that of a remembrancer, was given the responsibility and the privilege of reminding the king of his promises to the people. Oh, I like that. Lord, remember, this is what you told him you'd do. Remember. Remember your word. So that he does so with reverence and respect, but it's his job constantly to prod the teen to fulfill his word.

I would never, never, never recommend that title for preachers or for you, who are God's servants, if God hadn't given it himself. Turn to Isaiah 43. and verse 26. Isaiah 43 and verse 26. In verse 25, the Lord God says, I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins. And then God gives this word.

Oh, wondrous, strange, incomprehensible God says, put me in remembrance. Not as though he had forgotten anything. That's not the issue. Oh, he never forgot anything. But he gives us the privilege, Larry, of putting him in remembrance of what he's promised to do.

Look what it says. Let us plead together. Let us plead together. Declare thou that thou mayst be justified. That means that I come to God as a sinner, and I say, Lord God, you promised. You promised you'd blot out my transgressions. You promised, for Christ's sake, to receive all that you think. You promised any who come to you through faith in Jesus Christ, you will not cast out. Now, that's the reason I call on you to justify my sin.

Yes, sir, that's all right. That's all right. But it means more than this. It means that we, as God's servants, God's people, come to Him, come to the throne of grace, seeking the establishment of His kingdom, and we offer as a reason to justify our prayers what God has promised.

What He's promised. Put Him in remembrance. Put Him in remembrance of His covenant promises. of his gospel promises, of the promises specifically made to his family. Put him in remembrance. That's our business, so that we call on the Lord God as we speak forth his word to sinners. We call on him and put him in remembrance.

Lord, you said, you said your word, your honor. You said, you said that so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me, Lord. Now, God bless your word. Lord, you promised, you promised that we're two or three gathered together in your name. There you are in the midst of me. Now, God, we've come in your name. Come show yourself in our midst. Put me in remembrance.

And secondly, our text issues a remarkable caution. The opening line of verse seven could be translated in two different ways. and both translations should be heeded. First, the words given in our text are, give him no rest. But they might well be translated, take ye no rest. That simply means that we must never lay down the mantle. We must never quit the work. We must never walk away from our responsibilities.

So many times people who do nothing talk about what they used to do. We used to. I remember when. We used to. God helped me never to shrivel to talking about what we used to do. What we used to do is insignificant. What we did this morning is insignificant.

Take you no rest. Take no rest. You possibly grow weary. I do too. But you can't walk away from responsibilities because you're tired. You just can't do it. We don't do it in the end. Well, some folks do, but responsible folks don't do it in any other aspect of life. You raise your kids, and you got to work, and you feed them, and you clothe them. They don't know what's going on, but you You're busting your chops trying to provide for the family.

And you just get a little tired. Well, I hope we're not going to work today. You better go. Tomorrow you wish you'd go. You just don't walk away from it. You just don't walk away from responsibility, no matter how weary you get. You just don't do it. And God's servants and God's people must not walk away from their responsibilities to Him.

It may appear that nobody pays any attention to us. I know what that's like. I get so tired of trying to witness to folks in church who come to hear the gospel and pass out tracts and tapes and literature and you witness to folks and nobody cares. Nobody's interested. Nobody's paying any attention. Keep on. Somebody will. There's some folks who are going to hear. There's some folks who are going to believe. There's some folks who are going to be saying, God said so.

So don't give it up. Don't give it up. Sometimes we have a despair of what we call success. Because we keep measuring success in the same terms as the world does. a successful business, a successful corporation, a successful industry. You can mark it down on charts, and you can see this, and this, and this, and this. And if you don't see it, you mark through them and say, close the doors, boys, we'll go somewhere else.

Oh, but you don't do that to tell them of God. No, you don't give up. You don't give up. The souls of men, the glory of God's at stake. Don't quit as though God will not fulfill His word. for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." But then, as the words are given in our text, that translated, give him no rest. Give God no rest? Yes, sir. And that brings us to this last point. Here is a rousing challenge.

The Lord God The Lord God says to you and me, give me notice. God commands us to exercise importunity with Him. In preaching, just constantly, constantly bringing forth His Word with importunity, with relentless commitment, just constantly delivering His Word. And in prayer, constantly seeking his blessing on the Word, constantly seeking the salvation of his people, constantly calling on God to save the people for his name's sake, for the glory of his Son. And our text makes it plain. How can I say this?

That importunity prevails with God. It prevails with God. We won't look at them now, but you go home and read Luke chapter 11 and Luke chapter 18. Go home and read those. The Lord gives us two parables to illustrate how the importunity prevails with God.

There's this man who's gone to bed, and in the middle of the night, a friend comes. And he's got to take care of his friend. He's hospitable, and he's gracious, but he doesn't have any bread. And so he goes to his neighbor's house, and he knocks at the door, and the neighbor says, what do you want? He says, I've got a friend who's coming. I need some bread. The man says, I'm in bed. Don't bother me now. Come back tomorrow. And he closes the door, calls back in bed. What do you want? I told you I've got to have some bread. There's no bread in the house. I've got to have some bread.

And the neighbor says, go home and come back tomorrow. We'll take care of this tomorrow. And the fellow walks off and starts back toward the house. This fellow gets back in bed. And he says, wait. I came over here for bread. And no place else to get bread. I've got to have some bread. He's got bread in his house. And so he goes back. What do you want? I've got to have some bread. Well, looks like I'm going to get in your ass tonight. I've got to give you some bread. So you just come on in. I'll give you some bread.

And our Lord says, now knock and knock and knock and keep on knocking. knock down the very doors of the house of God in heaven, and it'll be open to you. Seek. Seek, seek, seek, seek. Seek earnestly. Seek with all your heart. Seek as though your very life is at stake, and you'll find. Ask. Ask of God.

Ask of God as though you simply cannot be turned away, and it shall be given He gives another parable of the unjust judge. And his woman kept seeking from the judge and seeking from the judge and seeking from the judge. And finally, the judge said, Though I fear not God and regard not man, because of her importunity, so that I can just be freed from being bothered by her, I'll give her what she's seeking. And the Lord God here says to you and me, as we seek his glory, that seek the establishing of his kingdom and the salvation of his people, serving the cause of his name in this world, don't ever give me any rest. Don't ever give me any rest. Now that tells me that importunity on our part is a certain sign of coming action on God's Turn to Isaiah 66 and verse 8.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed. She brought forth her children. You see, when God intends to do something, when God intends to do something among us, with us, or for us, he causes us to cry out to him for it. Prayer, earnest earnest prayer, true prayer, is neither more nor less than the heart directed and inspired by the Spirit of God, seeking from God what he has purposed to do.

You remember God told David, he said, now you can gather wood, you can gather materials, and when your son comes, I'll build a house. He'll build a house for me, and my name will be there forever." And when David heard what God said he would do, David fell on his face and said, Lord, do thou as thou hast said. Therefore, thy servant found it in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.

When we become concerned, I mean concerned, importunate before God. That's a sure sign God's about to use us. But there's something else obvious in the text. God help us. For this is just as obvious. Indifference. Indifference to the call of God. The gospel of God. and the glory of God is a sure sign of uselessness at best and judgment at worst. So once more I give you a call. I had a few good professors in school, whatever they used to say to us. In preacher's class he'd say, where there's no summons, there's no sermon. So here's my summons. Here's my summons.

Some of you are without Christ. You're without Christ. I call you to Him. I call you to life. I call you to repentance. I call you to faith. Oh, God help you to come to Christ. Look to Him, and you'll live. Free from sin, free from wrath, free from the dread of everlasting condemnation. And I'm calling you, my brothers and sisters, for Christ's sake, for Christ's sake, let us consecrate ourselves to Him who loved us, gave Himself for us, and give Him no rest. Amen.

A Call to Importunity

What does the Bible say about God's promise to save His elect?

How do we know that God is always working for the salvation of His chosen people?

Why is the concept of God's glory important for Christians?

What is the role of believers in sharing the gospel?

How can we be assured that our efforts in evangelism are effective?

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A Call to Importunity

What does the Bible say about God's promise to save His elect?

How do we know that God is always working for the salvation of His chosen people?

Why is the concept of God's glory important for Christians?

What is the role of believers in sharing the gospel?

How can we be assured that our efforts in evangelism are effective?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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